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A discredited study that set off a flurry of interest in using an antimalarial drug to treat COVID-19 has now been formally withdrawn. A scientific journal on Tuesday retracted the March 2020 study that introduced the world to hydroxychloroquine early in the COVID-19 pandemic – and confirmed that the attention was undeserved from the start. The antimalarial drug was briefly touted as a possible treatment for the novel coronavirus at a time when little else was available. (Cuevas, 12/17)

A survey of more than 7,700 healthcare workers (HCWs) in 12 countries in 2022 and 2023 finds that respondents agreed that COVID-19 and influenza vaccines are safe, effective, and useful, yet 1 in 5 reported moderate or strong COVID vaccine hesitation. (Van Beusekom, 12/17)

An H5 avian flu case that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently added to its probable list was initially flagged by routine flu surveillance. In other developments, federal officials confirmed more H5N1 detections in diary cows, poultry flocks, and a few non-farm mammals, and Labcorp announced the launch of its molecular test for the virus in people. (Schnirring, 12/17)