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The death rate in the United States returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2024 as Covid-19 fell out of the top 10 leading causes of death, according to a report published Wednesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (McPhillips, 9/10)

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) split with federal health officials and recommended that all U.S. adults get an updated COVID-19 vaccine for the upcoming respiratory virus season. In particular, people 65 years or older, those at increased risk for severe outcomes, and anyone who has never received a COVID-19 shot before should be prioritized for vaccination, AAFP said. (Rudd, 9/9)

In a break from the past, California is endorsing COVID-19 vaccine recommendations from national medical professional organizations rather than federal health officials. State public health departments typically adopt vaccine recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which takes their cues from a scientific advisory panel composed of experts who specialize in vaccines and infectious diseases. (Ho, 9/9)

Yesterday Pfizer and BioNTech reported phase 3 clinical trial data for their updated COVID vaccine, Comirnaty. That vaccine is authorized for use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for seniors 65 and older and for younger adults with at least one underlying health condition. The data show at least a fourfold increase in neutralizing antibodies, reinforcing preclinical data, and Pfizer has submitted these data to the FDA. (Soucheray, 9/9)

Top health officials under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are compiling examples of harmful effects of Covid shots on pregnant women to share with the public, people familiar with the matter said, furthering the administration’s scrutiny of vaccines and a debate with GOP lawmakers over their efficacy. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary and one of his top deputies, vaccines chief Vinay Prasad, are seeking to waive privacy protections around certain data on Covid vaccines and pregnant women, people familiar with the matter said. (Essley Whyte, 9/9)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: RFK Jr. Said ‘Everybody Can Get’ A Covid Vaccine. Is That True?

When health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified before the Senate Finance Committee on Sept. 4, several senators criticized him for restricting the covid-19 shots after promising in November he wouldn’t “take away anybody’s vaccines.” “Did you hold up a big sign saying that you were lying when you said that?” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) asked Kennedy. (Abels and Ramirez Uribe, 9/10)

Getting an updated coronavirus vaccine can be particularly challenging this year. The Food and Drug Administration approved those shots for people who are 65 and older or have underlying conditions that elevate their risk of severe disease, narrowing the pool of Americans who have easy access to the shots. (Ovalle, 9/9)

Florida’s surgeon general said Sunday that he had not weighed the cost – in terms of infections, hospitalizations or deaths – of ending vaccine mandates in his state. But scientists who have done those calculations say those costs may be high. (Goodman and McPhillips, 9/9)

Long COVID, the post-infection condition that can encompass a number of symptoms in the weeks following an active COVID-19 infection, is shown to be highly prevalent in a new global analysis of studies published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. A second study in The Journal of Infectious Diseases describes the prevalence of long COVID in adolescents in the summer of 2022, and shows that while many teens report lingering symptoms, most are resolved by 3 months post-infection. (Soucheray, 9/9)

A surveillance survey published in Virus Research finds an almost 70% elevated prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the blood of pet dogs exposed to the virus in their homes. (Van Beusekom, 9/9)