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☆ Doctors warn they’re seeing syphilis patients with unusual and severe symptoms
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Disease detectives in Chicago say they have been seeing a worrisome trend: Patients complaining of unusual symptoms like vision and eye problems, headaches and hearing loss or dizziness caused by the sexually transmitted infection syphilis. More than two-thirds of these patients (68%) lacked typical syphilis symptoms, like a rash or chancre sore, that might tip doctors off to the infection. Syphilis cases are surging across the US. In 2022, there were more than 207,000 syphilis cases reported, the highest number since the 1950s, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “There could just be an increase in untreated or inadequately treated patients, which is leading to more severe outcomes of syphilis,” Nham said.

Persons: ”, Amy Nham, Nham, “ They’re, —, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, ” Nham Organizations: CNN —, Intelligence Service Conference, Chicago Department of Public Health, US Centers for Disease Control, CNN, CNN Health, CDC Locations: Chicago, Atlanta

☆ New Covid vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax will likely protect against Eris variant
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

New Covid vaccines from Pfizer , Moderna and Novavax will likely provide protection against the new "Eris" variant, now the dominant strain of the virus in the U.S. The drugmakers designed their updated vaccines to target the omicron subvariant XBB.1.5, which is slowly declining nationwide. Eris accounted for 17.3% of all cases in the U.S. as of earlier this month, according to the latest data from the CDC. The World Health Organization earlier this month designated Eris a "variant of interest," meaning it will be monitored for mutations that could potentially make it more severe. It's also not expected to cause a huge wave of Covid cases like other strains have in previous years.

Persons: Dr, Mark Mulligan, It's Organizations: Chicago Department of Public Health, Southwest Senior Center, Pfizer, Moderna, U.S, EG, NYU, Vaccine, CNBC, Food and Drug Administration, Disease Control, CDC, World Health Organization Locations: Covid, Chicago , Illinois, Novavax, U.S

☆ Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax gear up for fall Covid vaccine rollout with an important head start
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

But facing pressure to deliver new shots by the fall, Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax began development on versions of their vaccines targeting XBB.1.5 months before the FDA's decision. That doesn't include Johnson & Johnson , a once-leading Covid vaccine developer. Moderna expects a minimum of $5 billion in revenue from its Covid vaccine, its only available product. The cash-strapped company won U.S. approval for its Covid vaccine under emergency use just last year due to regulatory and manufacturing delays. The company hopes to rake in $1.06 billion to $1.24 billion in sales of its Covid vaccine this year.

Persons: Novavax, Dr, Melinda Wharton, Johnson Organizations: Chicago Department of Public Health, Southwest Senior Center, The U.S . Food, Pfizer, Moderna, FDA, Centers for Disease Control, National Center, Manufacturers, U.S, Moderna's Locations: COVID, Chicago , Illinois, The U.S, Novavax, U.S

☆ Here’s what Pfizer and Moderna say is next for their Covid vaccines
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Scott Olson | Getty ImagesThree years and billions of Covid vaccinations into the pandemic, Pfizer and Moderna say their work is far from over. Here's what Moderna and Pfizer say is next for their Covid shots. Annual Covid shotsPfizer and Moderna aim to keep up with a shift in the U.S. toward annual Covid shots rather than frequent booster doses. Miller, who helped lead the development of Moderna's Covid shot in 2020, said the advantages of using mRNA became evident earlier on in the pandemic. 'Next-generation' Covid shotsPfizer's and Moderna's Covid vaccines both deliver robust protection against the virus, but that immunity can start to fade after four to six months.

☆ FDA authorizes additional omicron Covid booster for seniors and people with weak immune systems
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday authorized an additional dose of Pfizer and Moderna 's Covid-19 vaccines targeting the omicron variant for seniors and people with weak immune systems. People with weak immune systems can receive another omicron shot at least two months after their last dose and receive additional shots at the discretion of their doctor. Children 6 months through 5 years of age who are unvaccinated can now receive the full two-dose series of Moderna's omicron vaccine. The FDA first authorized the omicron BA.5 shots last August, but that subvariant has long since been displaced by a version of omicron called XBB.1.5. In June, the agency will likely update the variant that the Covid vaccines target, ahead of the fall respiratory virus season.

☆ As Ebola outbreak grows in Uganda, US ramps up preparedness plans
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“All primary and secondary schools in Uganda are directed to close by November 25th, 2022 for third term holidays as a measure to contain Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the country,” Museveni said in a statement. Major US cities get Ebola plans in placeThe CDC estimates that 20% of travelers from Uganda will arrive without a cell phone or US-based phone number. “CDPH continues to work with our hospitals to screen patients for travel history and be alert for symptoms of Ebola virus disease or, more likely, malaria or circulating respiratory viruses. ‘We need to be prepared’The Ebola virus is transmissible – but not as transmissible as some other infectious diseases, like Covid-19. “If we do see any cases in the United States, the hope is that they will be identified quickly before there is further spread,” Barouch said.

☆ Omicron BQ variants resistant to antibody treatments are quickly becoming dominant in U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Omicron subvariants resistant to key antibody treatments will soon make up a majority of new Covid infections in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many people with moderate or severely compromised immune systems take an antibody cocktail called Evusheld to protect them from severe disease. This leaves people with compromised immune systems increasingly vulnerable as these subvariants become dominant. White House Covid response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha has blamed Congress for failing to pass additional funding for the nation's pandemic response. President Joe Biden last month altered people with compromised immune systems that they face a special threat from Covid this winter.

The recently authorized booster vaccine protects against the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and the more recent omicron variants, BA.4 and BA.5. But there's a new batch of so-called "Scrabble" variants circulating globally. But experts still expect the shots to ramp up your immunity against all Covid variants, to some degree. The Scrabble variants are descendants of omicronThe new variants are descendants of omicron, which is a promising initial sign for the boosters. That can "restore a level of immunity and patch up the holes that some of these new Scrabble variants have found," she explains.

☆ FDA says two studies showing omicron boosters weren't much better than old Covid shots were too small to come to any conclusions
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The recently authorized booster vaccine protects against the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and the more recent omicron variants, BA.4 and BA.5. The Food and Drug Administration said two studies this week showing that the new omicron boosters weren't that much better than the old shots were too small to come to any real conclusions. The antibody responses were slightly higher with the omicron boosters, though the studies concluded the difference wasn't significant. The studies are of public interest because there's very limited human data on how the omicron BA.5 boosters perform right now. The FDA also looked at data directly on the BA.5 shots that came from animal studies.

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