Exclusive: Congo authorities approve mpox vaccines to try to contain outbreak Authorities in the Democratic of Congo have approved the use of two mpox vaccines to try to tackle an upsurge in cases and a dangerous new strain spreading in the country. Jennifer Rigby Reuters

...The Congo has seen 20,000 cases and more than 1,000 deaths from mpox, mainly among children, since the start of last year.

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German vaccine panel endorses Astra-Sanofi's RSV shot for infants Germany's influential vaccine advisory panel said on Thursday all infants in the country should receive AstraZeneca and Sanofi's antibody therapy to protect them against the common respiratory infection RSV. Reuters Reuters

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US CDC narrows age recommendation for RSV shots in US The U.S. CDC on Wednesday narrowed its recommendation for use of respiratory syncytial virus vaccines in older adults this year and held off on recommending their use for adults under age 60. Michael Erman Reuters

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Remdesivir tied to 54% lower risk of death among hospitalized COVID patients A comparison study based on two large, open-label studies links the antiviral drug remdesivir (Veklury) to a 54% lower risk of all-cause death and shorter hospital stays compared with standard of care (SOC) alone in hospitalized COVID-19 patients requiring supplemental oxygen in 2020.  CIDRAP

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Extreme heat waves aren’t ‘just summer’: How climate change is heating up the weather, and what we can do about it The June heat wave triggered warnings of a flash drought and caused a surge in ER visits. Many other countries have been facing extreme heat at the same time. Yahoo News

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CDC warns a surge in global dengue cases is raising risk in US | CNN The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning to doctors Tuesday to be on the look out for cases of dengue. A surge in dengue cases globally is raising the risk that people could catch the disease in the US. Jen Christensen CNN

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Gavi Includes Ebola, Meningitis, Rabies And Hepatitis B Vaccines In Its Portfolio - Health Policy Watch (healthpolicy-watch.news)

Gavi Includes Ebola, Meningitis, Rabies And Hepatitis B Vaccines In Its Portfolio - Health Policy Watch Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, announced last week that it will offer high risk countries the option of obtaining preventative Ebola vaccines, particularly for Health Policy Watch

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The Covid summer wave is here Infections are most likely rising in at least 39 states, driven in part by a trio of new variants. NBC News

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Several variants are likely to be contributing to the nationwide trend, said Dr. Dan Barouch, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

Finland to start bird flu vaccinations for humans, in world first Finland plans to offer preemptive bird flu vaccination as soon as next week to some workers with exposure to animals, health authorities said on Tuesday, making it the first country in the world to do so. Reuters Reuters

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WHO, scientists call for urgent action on mpox strain The spread of mpox in Africa needs to be addressed urgently, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday, as scientists warned separately of a dangerous strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Jennifer Rigby Reuters

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US surgeon general declares US gun violence an urgent public health crisis | CNN Gun violence in the United States is an urgent public health crisis that demands the “collective commitment of the nation” to stop it, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy says in a new advisory released Tuesday. Jen Christensen CNN

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Latest XBB COVID-19 vaccine offers protection against hospitalization, deaths Today, JAMA Internal Medicine published a study calculating the protection offered by the latest Pfizer COVID-19 XBB vaccine compared to older vaccines against COVID-associated hospitalization and emergency department (ED) or urgent care (UC) visits.  CIDRAP

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The authors compared outcomes among those who had received an updated XBB vaccine and those who had not received an XBB vaccine of any kind, regardless of prior COVID-19 vaccination or infection history.