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Florida Ranks 41st in New Vaccination Study, Placing State in Bottom 10
A new study has revealed that Florida is one of the least vaccinated states in America.
It should come as no surprise, as Florida has actively pushed to end vaccine mandates across the state over the past year, which could be why less people are getting their shots.
A study conducted by WalletHub analyzed which states in the country are most responsible about keeping up with vaccines, and the results show that Florida is in the bottom 10 states in terms of vaccinations, coming in at 41st by their score system, which ranks each state with data from different demographics within each state’s population.
The only states who are worse at vaccinating its people by WalletHub’s standards are Idaho, Tennessee, Kentucky, Nevada, Texas, Wyoming, Alaska, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Mississippi.
Taxpayer Philanthropy: Vaccine Nonprofit Boosts Exec Pay While Losing Millions
Despite posting multi-million-dollar losses in several recent years, a federally funded nonprofit that develops vaccines against deadly viruses overseas has continued to raise its executives’ pay. That includes two whose compensation exceeded the $400,000 annual salary of the president of the United States, an investigation by The Center Square found.
The Albert B. Sabin Vaccine Institute of Washington, D.C., a 501(c)(3) organization, reported a net loss of nearly $4 million in 2024 and $2 million the year before, according to federal records. Its revenue dropped 10.5% to $35.9 million from $40.1 million in 2023, while its federal grants and contracts from the Department of Health and Human Services declined to $30.6 million from $31.3 million over the same period.
Despite the decreases, Sabin increased its spending on executive compensation and other salaries and wages by $800,000, to $9 million, in 2024.
Popular GLP-1 Weight-Loss Drugs Linked to Potentially Deadly Brain Disorder
Researchers are warning about a rare but potentially life-threatening brain condition that may be linked to popular GLP-1 weight-loss medications. A new study, published in Clinical Nutrition, identified 15 reported cases of Wernicke encephalopathy, a neurological disorder caused by severe vitamin B1 deficiency, in people taking GLP-1 receptor agonists.
Most of the reported cases involved semaglutide, sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, or tirzepatide, sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound. Researchers found 15 cases through the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), published medical literature and their own medical center.
Most patients reported gastrointestinal symptoms or nutritional issues, including weight loss, vomiting, loss of appetite or malnutrition, the study noted.
Common Antibiotic Linked to Possible Higher Death Risk
Cefepime is a fourth-generation antibiotic widely used to treat serious bacterial infections and febrile neutropenia — a fever in patients with abnormally low white blood cell counts. Unlike many antibiotics that are falling prey to antimicrobial resistance, cefepime is relatively stable against AmpC β-lactamases, giving it an advantage against bacteria that produce these enzymes. However, scientists are concerned that this widely effective antibiotic may increase the risk of death, a concern first brought to light by a 2007 meta-analysis.
In a recent study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers re-examined data from a series of clinical trials and studies to investigate whether patients treated with cefepime were more likely to die than those treated with other β-lactam antibiotics.
After analyzing more than 100 randomized trials involving 22,608 patients, researchers found a 94.4% probability that cefepime was associated with higher odds of death than other β-lactam antibiotics. Across all the trials screened, death occurred in 6.6% of cefepime-treated patients and 6.2% of comparison-group patients.
Psychedelic Therapies Ride Wave of Public Favor Into FDA Hearing
Heading into an FDA hearing on Monday regarding the future of psychedelic treatments, public comments show wide support for further exploring the therapeutic potential of these compounds — to match rising support within the agency. A highly anticipated FDA hearing to discuss psychedelic drug development on Monday is preceded by robust public support for the class and the Trump administration’s efforts to allow more of them to reach the market, according to analysts.
It also directly follows the appointment of FDA leaders expected to be friendly to the emerging drug class. “We think key stakeholders already sound supportive,” Jefferies analysts wrote in a note to clients last week, adding that this list includes patients, doctors, interventional psychiatry centers, the FDA and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the White House and Veterans Affairs (VA). “An engaged/constructive ecosystem should benefit the potential psychedelic launches in 2027+.”
The first potential launch could belong to Compass Pathways’ psilocybin-based depression candidate COMP360, which is widely expected to receive FDA approval via the new Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher program by the end of this year or in early 2027. Jefferies analysts previously stated they were 75% to 85% confident the regulator would approve the treatment based on Phase 3 data released in July that showed durability.
