Disease

The FDA voted to approve Pfizer's recent RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) vaccine that would protect against neonates by vaccinating their mothers while pregnant. GSK has also recently approved an RSV vaccine (but for older adults). Pfizer states the shot should be administered from 24 to 36 weeks…

The WHO has ended the monkeypox global emergency, declaring it to no longer be a public health emergency. The number of monkeypox cases have fallen by 90% in the last 3 months.  To read the full article on the New York Times by Apoorva Mandavilli, click here

According to the CDC, 13 people have been infected with salmonella as a result of  consuming Gold Medal flour, resulting in General Mills recalling various flour products as of last week. General Mills spokesperson Mollie Wulf states that baking or cooking the foods that used this flour would have…

The FDA approved Arexvy, an RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) vaccine made by GSK approved for adults 60 years or older, which is the first RSV vaccine after 60 years. Dr. Peter Marks of the FDA states that this vaccine is especially important for older RSV patients because of underlying health…

The virus known as the “dog flu” descended from a type of bird flu. While bird flus do not spread easily among humans, there is concern that a virus could establish itself in a mammal species, such as dogs, and then be more easily transmitted to humans. Professor James Wood, head of the veterinary…

Delaware Governor John Carney has announced that the state's Public Health Emergency order, which has been in place since March 13, 2020, will end on May 11, the same day that the federal Public Health Emergency is set to end. The order ensures access to federal emergency assistance and enforces…

The norovirus in the United States is on the rise. There has been a 17% increase in positive norovirus tests in the past few weeks. The virus is also referred to as the stomach flu. It is highly contagious and causes gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain.…

A woman who was infected with H3N8 passed away after falling ill a few weeks prior, and she is the first recorded human death from the bird flu. None of the close contacts of the woman got the disease, and both she and the other two known human cases of the bird flu were exposed to infected…

Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania had Marburg outbreaks in January and March of this year, respectively. As a hemorrhagic fever, Marburg is a relatively rare disease with a very high death rate. Like Ebola, it is transmitted through bodily fluids and symptoms include high fever and capillary leakage.…

Sanofi has joined Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk as the last of the 3 biggest suppliers of insulin in the US to announce price cuts and caps for out-of-pocket costs in insulin. The French drugmaker announced Thursday that it will be capping the out-of-pocket costs of its most popular insulin, Lantus to…

As COVID-19 cases decline in the US, call centers and testing sites are closing. In Rockland County, New York, a call center set up in March 2020 to handle COVID-19 queries closed on Tuesday, having taken more than 19,000 calls. Massachusetts is closing its free PCR testing sites, known as "Stop…

The WHO has updated a number of its COVID-19 guidelines including those related to masking, isolation procedures, and treatments. Masks continue to be an important tool in preventing the spread of COVID-19, especially when worn by those who suspect they may have COVID-19, when they are around those…

Avian flu infection was detected in a 9-year old girl from Ecuador who came in contact with poultry that died without apparent causes. The infection, caused by the avian influenza A(H5) virus, elicited persistent nausea and vomiting symptoms in the girl which progressed into more serious…