Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Old TB Vaccine Doesn't Work On Covid, But It May Have Other Benefits
An old tuberculosis vaccine known to bolster the immune system did not prevent Covid infections among health care workers, scientists reported on Thursday. But the trial was shorter and smaller than originally designed, and the investigators said that the results did not rule out other potential benefits associated with the vaccine, known as B.C.G. for bacille Calmette-Guerin. (Rabin, 4/26)
The vaccine effectiveness (VE) of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine was 79.5% among US adolescents before the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant emerged, but the monoclonal antibody combo tixagevimab and cilgavimab showed little benefit for nonhospitalized COVID patients, according to two randomized, controlled trials published today in JAMA Network Open. (Van Beusekom, 4/26)
Moderna Inc failed to persuade a Delaware federal judge on Wednesday to shift liability from the company to the U.S. government for alleged patent infringement by Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine. (Brittain, 4/26)
State agencies and local governments in North Carolina would not be allowed to deny employment to someone who refuses to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or prove they鈥檝e been vaccinated, under legislation passed Wednesday by the state House. The bill passed the House 73-41, with three Democrats and all present Republicans voting in favor, and was sent to the Senate. (4/26)
More on the spread of covid 鈥
Many Illinois residents will soon have to pay for over-the-counter COVID-19 tests, with the state鈥檚 largest insurer saying it will no longer cover them once the federal emergencies for COVID-19 end next month. (Schencker, 4/26)
XBB.1.16 鈥 dubbed 鈥淎rcturus鈥 on social media 鈥 is another descendant of omicron. It was first detected in early January and the majority of cases have been seen in India so far. It鈥檚 been steadily rising in the U.S. in recent weeks, although it still made up slightly less than 10% of new confirmed Covid cases as of Saturday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.聽(Syal and Miller, 4/26)
A South Korean study shows a complex relationship between moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and COVID-19, with a regular exercise habit linked to COVID-19 infection early in the pandemic but also associated with a significantly lower risk of developing severe symptoms. The study was published yesterday in JAMA Network Open. (Soucheray, 4/26)
