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Morning Briefing

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Friday, Jul 18 2025

Full Issue

Majority Of US Pregnant Women Don't Plan To Fully Vaccinate Kids: Survey

Researchers from Emory University and the CDC found that only 35% to 40% of pregnant and new parents plan to fully vaccinate their children. In other news: A shortened drug regimen for drug-resistant TB shows some promise; Farm pesticides might be causing rheumatoid arthritis; and more.

Only 35% to 40% of US pregnant women and parents of young children say they intend to fully vaccinate their child, per survey results from researchers at Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (Van Beusekom, 7/17)

Today, JAMA Oncology published two studies and a research letter on COVID-19 and cancer, including a retrospective cohort study showing that COVID-19 booster vaccinations offered significant protection against severe infection. A second study determined risk factors for hospitalization and death in patients with cancer and COVID-19 infection, and a third research letter describes the pandemic’s effect on breast cancer surveillance and outcomes. (Soucheray, 7/17)

Almost 20% of people who were hospitalized for COVID-19 infections early in the pandemic still had signs of impairment with brain function 2 years after infection, finds a new study in Scientific Reports. (Soucheray, 7/17)

Duchenne gene therapy, TB, RA, and disordered proteins —

At the FDA's request, delandistrogene moxeparvovec (Elevidys), the only approved gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, will carry a black box warning for acute liver injury and acute liver failure, drugmaker Sarepta Therapeutics said. The label change follows the death of two boys with Duchenne who died soon after being treated with delandistrogene moxeparvovec. In June, the FDA said it was investigating the deaths, focusing on the risk of acute liver failure with serious outcomes, including hospitalization and death, after treatment. (George, 7/17)

A shortened, all-oral drug regimen worked well for some patients with pre-extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (pre-XDR TB), according to the results of a multi-country randomized controlled trial published this week in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. But the benefits were primarily seen in those with limited disease. (Dall, 7/17)

Women exposed to pesticides through farm work or as farmers' wives face increased risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a new analysis of Agricultural Health Study (AHS) data indicated. For a variety of insecticides and fungicides that are or once were commonly used on U.S. farms, adjusted odds for new-onset RA were 1.21 to 2.49 times greater among exposed participants versus the unexposed, according to Christine G. Parks, PhD, MSPH, of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and colleagues. (Gever, 7/17)

For decades, structural biologists shoved what looked like shoddy data in the back of their closets, embarrassed. While attempting to gather the structures of proteins, they would sometimes find that all or at least a portion of the protein would just not show up correctly in the data. (Trang, 7/17)

This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
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