Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Majority Of Older Adults Are Afraid To Get Covid Booster, Survey Finds
Despite the recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for older adults to have new bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer, which were launched last year, so far only 42.4% of that age group have received the booster. (Renfrow, 5/3)
The estimated vaccine effectiveness (VE) of the monovalent (single-strain) mRNA COVID-19 vaccine was 76% against mechanical ventilation and in-hospital death for 6 months after the last dose, falling to 56% at 1 to 2 years, according to a study published today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. (Van Beusekom, 4/28)
HIV status did not affect treatment outcomes in mpox patients treated with the antiviral tecovirimat (Tpoxx), according to findings published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine. (Soucheray, 5/2)
Although semaglutide may not ring a bell, the drug has been popping up in news headlines and social media feeds since last year. That鈥檚 because the branded version called Ozempic has surged in popularity鈥攁nd notoriety鈥攆or its off-label use as a weight-loss medication. (Suran, PhD, MSJ, 4/26)
Engineers have shown that by using an ingestible capsule that delivers an electrical current to the cells they can stimulate the release of the hormone ghrelin. This approach could prove useful for treating diseases that involve nausea or loss of appetite, such as anorexia or cachexia. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 4/26)
