👀 Axios Vitals: Booster questions

Plus, COVID vaccine pill gets positive results | Thursday, September 01, 2022

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Humana   Axios Vitals By Tina Reed · Sep 01, 2022 🍁 It's the first day of September. How did that happen? Today's newsletter is 775 words or a 3-minute read.     1 big thing: What to know about new COVID boosters Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios   The first updated COVID-19 boosters are days away from going into the arms of Americans. But the expedited way in which they're being rolled out, and unknowns on how well they'll work, have left many people leery and full of questions, Axios' Adriel Bettelheim and I write. Why it matters: Experts generally agree COVID vaccinations were in need of an update to target strains like Omicron, which now accounts for the majority of U.S. cases. And the evidence suggests the reformulated Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna shots should protect those at greatest risk from hospitalization and death. Be smart: With a CDC vaccine advisory panel set to meet today to consider recommending the shots, Vitals checked in with leading public health experts to suss out the biggest lingering questions: Should we get these shots right away? It depends. People who haven't been vaccinated should get the original shots first, said Andrew Pekosz, co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance. The boosters were designed just to top people off with a lower dose of mRNA. The consensus for people who decided to get a booster over the summer or caught COVID then is to wait at least 60 days before getting these shots, Megan Ranney, academic dean at the Brown University School of Public Health, wrote on Twitter. For still others, it's a calculation based on what could lie ahead. Some people could reasonably hold off until closer to October or November, to maximize protection ahead of an expected surge during the holidays. That might also buy a little time to see how well the shots are working. Keep reading.     2. Scoop: COVID vaccine pill gets positive results Illustration: Gabriella Turrisi/Axios   San Francisco-based biotech Vaxart, an underdog in the COVID response that's developing a vaccine that would be delivered in a pill, is reporting promising Phase 2 clinical trial data today, the company told Axios exclusively. Why it matters: The two-dose vaccine candidate was "safe and well-tolerated" and produced immune responses against the wild strain of the virus, as well as subsequent strains including Omicron, officials said. It also showed what's called a mucosal antibody response which can provide an added layer of protection and help reduce viral transmission, they said. Be smart: As the first part of a Phase 2 study, this is still a relatively small study. It was based on 66 people. But it's an important milestone as the first time an oral COVID vaccine has concluded a Phase 2 trial, they said. They say the pill could be ultimately "groundbreaking" for the global delivery of COVID vaccines and help get ahead of new COVID variants. What they're saying: "We believe that the positive findings for multiple immunologic responses may ultimately translate to enhanced protection against infection with, and/or transmission of, SARS-CoV-2," said Sean Tucker, Vaxart's founder and chief scientific officer. Read the rest.     3. America's hypertension problem Data: National Center for Health Statistics; Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals Nearly 60% of emergency department visits in the U.S. in the years leading up to the arrival of COVID-19 were adults with one or more chronic conditions, according to new CDC data. Why it matters: This data not only provides a better look at the connection between chronic conditions and hospitalizations but a glimpse at America's vulnerabilities heading into the pandemic. Overall, hypertension was the most frequently observed chronic condition (33.8% of ED visits by adults) between 2017-2019. The most frequently observed pair of chronic conditions was hypertension and diabetes (33.2% of ED visits with at least two chronic conditions.)     A message from Humana Members can save on quality care with Medicare Advantage     Medicare Advantage can provide better health outcomes and lower costs. The proof: Members have a 43% lower rate of avoidable hospitalizations and savings of nearly $2,000 a year compared to those who choose fee-for-service Medicare. Learn more.     4. Telehealth reforms hiked access to opioid meds Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios   Pandemic-era reforms allowed more Medicare beneficiaries to use telehealth to obtain opioid-use disorder drugs, stay in treatment and avoid overdoses, Axios' Arielle Dreher writes about a study published in JAMA Psychiatry. Why it matters: The vast majority of people who need treatment for a substance-use disorder don't get it, and the researchers fear the addiction crisis could worsen if emergency COVID-19 reforms on telehealth and prescribing aren't made permanent. What they found: Researchers compared two cohorts of Medicare beneficiaries before and during the pandemic. More people during the pandemic had access to treatments like methadone, buprenorphine and extended-release naltrexone and had lower odds of having to be treated for overdoses, they found. Yes, but: Very few people were still receiving treatment 80 days after initiating it. Go deeper.     5. Catch up quick 🏛 Florida is suing the FDA, claiming that the agency is delaying the state's attempts at importing cheaper prescription medications from Canada, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday. (Axios) 🫁 The federal government should improve its oversight of the cybersecurity of the United Network for Organ Sharing, which manages the U.S. organ transplantation system, according to a watchdog report. (OIG) 🔥 A brutal heatwave is scorching the U.S. west this week, sparking fires and health warnings. (The Guardian)     A message from Humana Older Americans are choosing Medicare Advantage     Medicare Advantage can help provide better health outcomes and lower costs. With Medicare Advantage, members see a 43% drop in avoidable hospitalizations and save nearly $2,000 a year compared to those who choose fee-for-service Medicare. Learn more.   Why stop here? Let's go Pro. Join the thousands of professionals reading Axios Pro: Health Tech Deals to better understand the forces shaping their industry.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. 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