Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Roundup: Metformin; Covid; Mpox; RSV; Breakdancing (Yes, Really)
Men can take the widely prescribed diabetes drug metformin without fear of causing birth defects in their children, according to results of a large study published on Wednesday. Tracking more than 3 million pregnancies in Norway and Taiwan, researchers found no association between birth defects and use of metformin by fathers during the three months before conception, which is the period of sperm development. (Lapid, 10/16)
A team led by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) researchers studying Medicare claims data during the early Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant months conclude that a third dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine provides significant protection against hospitalization and death compared with two doses but wanes substantially after 4 months. (Van Beusekom, 10/15)
Yesterday the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the approval of Bavarian Nordic's mpox vaccine, Jynneos, for adolescents aged 12 to 17.聽The move comes as the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is still raging, and infecting children at high rates.聽(Soucheray, 10/15)
Researchers from Brigham and Women鈥檚 Hospital published new research in Science Translational Medicine showing that natural killer (NK) cells in some children may make them more prone to severe cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).聽(Soucheray, 10/14)
A lack of infection prevention and control staffing leads to more healthcare-associated infections, according to a new study published today in the American Journal of Infection Control. (Soucheray, 10/10)
The patient, who鈥檚 in his early 30s and has been breaking for about two decades, said in the case study that his 鈥渁ppearance has improved significantly鈥 since his tumor, which was about a quarter-inch high, was extracted. (Melnick, 10/14)