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CDC Analysis Shows High Rate of Parental Hesitation Toward Kids’ Vaccinations
Analysis of U.S. national survey data reveal that the percentage of children with a vaccine-hesitant parent varies by vaccine, ranging from 56% for the COVID-19 vaccine to 12% for routine childhood vaccines, according to a study yesterday in Vaccine.
Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wrote, “Some public health professionals have expressed concern that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased vaccine hesitancy about routine childhood vaccines.”
The percentage of children with a parent who was somewhat or very hesitant varied widely by vaccine, with hesitancy toward COVID vaccines, at 55.9%, far outpacing the others. The percentage of children who had a parent hesitant about the flu vaccine was 30.9%, for the HPV vaccine it was 30.1%, and for other vaccines, such as those protecting against measles, polio, and tetanus, it was 12.2%. The percentage that was very hesitant was 37.6%, 15.0%, 14.4%, and 4.1%, respectively, for COVID, flu, HPV, and childhood vaccines.
Joe Rogan Lashes Out at Bill Gates Over Health Advice
While discussing vaccines during the July 10 episode of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, the UFC commentator discussed the backlash he faced during the COVID-19 pandemic with his guest, mixed martial artist Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.
Rogan came under fire for his comments about the virus and vaccines several times during the pandemic, such as claiming that the anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin cured the disease and suggesting that young, healthy men do not need to get vaccinated.
During the interview, Jackson said he chose not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 after watching an interview with Gates and his now ex-wife, Melinda French Gates.
The former couple contributed billions of dollars to global healthcare through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which runs an immunization program. In 2020, Gates committed $250 million to fight COVID worldwide, with the foundation saying it had spent $2 billion by January 2022.
“I see Fauci is getting in trouble,” Jackson said, referencing the recent House investigation of the scientist’s handling of virus research. “But how come nobody saying anything about Bill Gates? Why would we listen to him about medicine anyway?”
Children Receive First Doses of New Malaria Vaccine, Hailed as Major Milestone
Children in Ivory Coast received the first doses of a new, relatively cheap malaria vaccine on Monday, a step that has been hailed as a major milestone in the battle against one of the world’s most deadly diseases.
The R21 vaccine, developed by the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford and the Serum Institute of India (SII), has been sent to several African countries and will also be administered in South Sudan Tuesday, the University of Oxford said in a statement sent to CNN.
The SIII has already manufactured more than 25 million doses and has committed to producing up to 100 million doses a year, a scale that allows the vaccine to remain affordable, according to the statement from the University of Oxford.
There are enough doses that 250,000 children under the age of 2 will initially be vaccinated in Ivory Coast, while Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and the Central African Republic have all authorized the vaccine, too, the university said.
As GLP-1 Sales Surge, Insulin Users Fear Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly Will Move On Without Them
Around the world, patients suddenly can’t find enough of the insulins made by companies they have long relied on to do so.
In the U.S., Novo Nordisk’s recent decision to discontinue a product has left patients with fewer options. At the same time, patients are encountering shortages of other products from Novo and Eli Lilly. For months, pharmacies have been running out of vials of certain insulins that patients use to fill the pumps they wear on their body.
Supply issues have also spread to the U.K., where patients struggle to find not only vials but also injectable pens of insulin.
Judge Allows New Ozempic, Wegovy Lawsuits to Be Directly Filed in Federal MDL
The U.S. District Judge recently appointed to take over the pretrial management for all federally filed lawsuits over the side effects of Ozempic, Wegovy and similar GLP-1 drugs, has approved a streamlined process for families to directly file new failure to warn claims against manufacturers the blockbuster diabetes and weight loss medications, which have been linked to reports of stomach paralysis, bowel obstruction and other injuries.
The litigation involves claims brought against manufacturers of Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound, Trulicity and other glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) drugs, which have become some of the most widely used prescription medications on the market in the U.S. in recent years, given benefits promoting weight loss.
With some estimates indicating that nearly 2% of the U.S. population has been prescribed one of the GLP-1 medications, either for diabetes treatment or weight loss, it was widely expected that the litigation will become a major mass tort in the coming months.
To help avoid delays associated with transferring new lawsuits from U.S. District Courts nationwide into the MDL, Judge Marston issued a case management order on July 14, authorizing the direct filing of new lawsuits on behalf of individuals nationwide in her court.
Johnson & Johnson Proposes $505M Settlement With Bankrupt Talc Miners
As Johnson & Johnson continues to attempt to Texas two-step its way around thousands of claims that its popular talcum powder-based products caused cancer, the drugmaker is putting up hundreds of millions of dollars to settle a longstanding dispute with suppliers.
Johnson & Johnson has proposed a settlement that would see it pay at least $505 million to the bankrupt talc miners Imerys Talc America and Cyprus Mines Corporation by Dec. 31, 2025. J&J’s payments would go, in part, toward the miners’ settlement trust for talc claimants, according to documents filed in bankruptcy court late last week.
Under the proposed agreement, J&J would make an initial payment of $225 million, followed by another $280 million in insurance proceeds from company policies.
New Research Demonstrates Potential for Increasing Effectiveness of Popular Diabetes, Weight-Loss Drugs
A network of proteins found in the central nervous system could be harnessed to increase the effectiveness and reduce the side effects of popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs, according to new research from the University of Michigan.
The study, appearing today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, focused on two proteins called melanocortin 3 and melanocortin 4, found primarily on the surface of neurons in the brain, that play a central role in regulating feeding behavior and maintaining the body’s energy balance.
The findings indicate that pairing the existing GLP-1 drugs with an MC4R agonist could increase sensitivity to the desired effects of the drugs by up to fivefold, without increasing unwanted side effects. Ultimately, this approach could enable patients who are sensitive to the side effects to take a lower dose or could improve the results in patients who have not responded to the existing drug dosages. Further drug development and clinical testing are needed before this can occur.
Tylenol MDL Judge Rejects New Evidence That Prenatal Exposure to Acetaminophen Causes ADHD
The U.S. District Judge presiding over all Tylenol ADHD and autism lawsuits has again rejected a critical plaintiffs’ expert witness, leaving them without a way to provide admissible testimony to support claims that use of acetaminophen during pregnancy can cause attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among children.
For decades, Tylenol (acetaminophen) has been widely used by pregnant women, largely due to the widespread belief that it is safe for unborn children. However, a growing number of lawsuits have been filed in state and federal courts in recent years, each raising similar allegations that drug makers failed to adequately warn pregnant women and the medical community about the growing evidence that prenatal exposure to Tylenol causes autism or ADHD.
