Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First-Of-Its-Kind Autism Test Could Help With Earlier Diagnosis
Researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind test for autism that they say can find markers of risk in a single strand of hair, an innovation that might help clinicians identify it in young children before they miss developmental milestones. (Bush, 1/5)
In updates on mpox and polio —
A large study of patients seen at sexual health clinics in London found low numbers of mpox cases after vaccination with one dose of modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA-BN) vaccine. ... In the early months of the mpox outbreak, health officials embraced a one-dose vaccine strategy to stretch limited supplies of the vaccine while acknowledging that the immune boost following one dose of the two-dose vaccine might not be enough. (Schnirring, 1/5)
Two days before Christmas, Canada reported vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2) from two wastewater samples to the World Health Organization (WHO), the WHO's Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said in a Dec 30 epidemiologic update. The Canadian samples that tested positive for the virus were collected in August as part of sampling targeted to areas with close connections to communities in New York where similar wastewater positive samples were found earlier. A third positive environmental sample from Canada, also collected in August, is pending confirmation by virus isolation. (Schnirring, 1/5)
On aging —
When 67-year-old Roben Seltzer was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease three years ago, his symptoms were so bad he could barely get out of bed. He was treated with physical therapy and medication to manage symptoms like tremors, stiffness and slowness. His doctor also offered him a surprising treatment option: ping-pong. (Oliver and Novak, 1/5)
Nearly half of people worldwide do not get the recommended daily total water intake, a new report indicates. Yet drinking enough water may help to delay the aging process for many. A recent study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published in eBioMedicine suggests as much — though there are caveats to know. (McGorry, 1/5)
Bessie Hendricks of Iowa lived through the roaring '20s, the Great Depression, two World Wars, the dawn of the internet age and a global pandemic. At age 115, she was believed to be the oldest person in America when she died Tuesday at the Shady Oaks Care Center in Lake City. (Block, 1/4)
