HHS tells hospitals to get patient consent before invasive exams Hospitals must obtain informed consent from patients before allowing physicians to conduct sensitive and invasive examinations, such as pelvic and prostate, particularly if the patients are under a… nweixel The Hill

Hospitals must obtain informed consent from patients before allowing physicians to conduct sensitive and invasive examinations, such as pelvic and prostate, particularly if the patients are under anesthesia, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said Monday. 

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-broadly-coronavirus-vaccine.html#google_vignette

Researchers develop more broadly protective coronavirus vaccine

Scientists have been searching for the optimal coronavirus vaccine since the COVID-19 pandemic started. The mRNA vaccines developed through the federal government's "Operation Warp Speed" program were a massive innovation; however, annually updating those boosters for specific SARS-CoV-2 variants is inefficient for scientists and patients.

SARS-CoV-2 is just one member of the Sarbecovirus (SARS Betacoronavirus) subfamily (others include SARS-CoV-1, which caused the 2002 SARS outbreak, as well as other viruses circulating in bats that could cause future pandemics).

Mpox vaccine boosters necessary to restore faded protection, study shows - UPI.com Vaccine protection against mpox fades quickly in the human immune system, even in people who've received the full two-dose regimen, a new real-world study shows. UPI

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Antibody levels fell to low or near zero within the first few months of getting the vaccine, unless the person had previously received a smallpox vaccine, scientists reported Saturday at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Barcelona.

Four Years After Shelter-in-Place, Covid-19 Misinformation Persists - KFF Health News False claims that covid vaccines cause deaths and other diseases are still prevalent despite multiple studies showing the vaccines are safe and saved lives. khnkit KFF Health News

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Covid-19 Brings Down Healthy Life Expectancy In The U.K. Persistent inequalities are likely driving a significant divide in results across England, with "bolder" action needed to tackle ill-health, experts say. Katherine Hignett Forbes

People born recently in England and Wales can expect to spend fewer years of their life in good health than those born over a decade ago, official figures show.

Moderna reports promising findings for next-generation COVID vaccine The new version offers longer shelf-life advantages and paves the way for a flu-COVID combo vaccine. CIDRAP

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The mRNA-1283 vaccine showed a higher immune response—including in seniors—than its currently licensed vaccine, called mRNA-1273.222. Response was higher against Omicron BA.4/BA.5 as well as the original SARS-CoV-2 virus.

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How to improve preparedness for the next pandemic The key to improving pandemic preparedness in the U.S. is not simply additional funding, but also better management of federal resources. ckulat The Hill

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Since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an unfortunate decline in policy interest in preparations for the next one.