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Most Women Opt for Maternal RSV Vaccination, Prefer It to Infant Immunization, International Study Finds
Women in eight countries often opted for the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine during pregnancy and preferred this method of immunization to giving their babies the infant monoclonal antibody nirsevimab (Beyfortus), a study published in Vaccine found.
“The multinational study demonstrates high acceptance of maternal RSV vaccination and a predominant preference for this strategy over infant immunizations,” wrote the authors, who were led by researchers at the School of Health Sciences at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland.
“These findings highlight the importance of tailored communication addressing pregnant individuals’ concerns about safety and efficacy, alongside policies that align with parental vaccination preferences to facilitate effective implementation,” they added.
Would Hunters Take a Lyme Disease Vaccine? We Asked
U.S. News & World Report reported:
It’s tick season, possibly the worst in a decade. More and more Americans are being exposed to these parasites as climate change expands the range where they can survive. That means more people are also exposed to the bevy of health conditions they can cause, such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, the alpha-gal-triggered red meat allergy, and, most common of all, Lyme disease.
For the latter, there may be some additional protection on the horizon. Pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Valneva announced this spring they plan to seek regulatory approval for a vaccine to protect against Lyme disease. A previous vaccine for Lyme became available in the late 1990s but was pulled only three years later due to lawsuits, public fear of side effects and a lack of interest.
It’s unclear whether this latest stab at a Lyme disease vaccine will get a warmer reception if it’s approved, especially in the post-COVID era of vaccine skepticism.
Ebola Deaths in Congo Top 500 as Health Workers Threaten to Strike
At least 500 people have died out of over 1,500 confirmed cases in Congo’s Ebola outbreak, authorities said, as frontline workers threatened to go on strike on Monday over unpaid benefits and poor working conditions. The outbreak has recorded 1,561 cases, including 506 deaths, since it was declared on May 15 as the spread continues to outpace response, Congo’s Ministry of Health said in its latest update on Sunday night.
Frontline workers deployed in Ituri province, the epicenter of the outbreak, issued a 24-hour notice on Sunday threatening to strike if authorities fail to pay them and improve their working conditions.
The workers include mostly health professionals who have been laboring with little rest as they battle attacks from angry residents and widespread skepticism about the virus.
Watchdog Warns of Risks to Patients as Private Equity’s Stake in US Healthcare Grows
A watchdog group is calling for greater government oversight of joint ventures between private equity firms and non-profit healthcare providers, arguing that the arrangements could present “risks” to “patients, payers and employees”.
In a new report, Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP), a vocal critic of the industry, detailed more than 500 joint ventures between private equity and non-profit healthcare providers — ranging from rural hospitals to major religiously affiliated health systems to hospice care providers. The group argued those risks could include extraction of profit and a decline in quality of care.
“This is the challenge with private equity — it’s private, so they don’t have to report what they own,” said Jim Baker, founder and executive director of PESP. “We think this just scratches the surface.”
Demand Accountability From Candidates on Big Pharma Deals
When there is a scandal, even one hiding in plain sight, they tell us to follow the money, so let’s start there in analyzing the scandal of the secret deals Michigan strikes with pharma companies.
In fiscal year 2024, the State of Michigan paid drug companies $4.1 billion for prescription medicines for the Medicaid program. That’s the program that provides healthcare to low-income and disabled people.
Those same drug companies then rebated a total of $2.6 billion back to the state, leaving the state with net Medicaid drug spending of $1.5 billion in 2024.
