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The two Africa-based vaccine manufacturers are receiving $5 million each in funding from the foundation, while another $10 million is earmarked for other companies that have not yet been named. Political Cartoons View All 1202 ImagesThe mRNA vaccine technology came to the forefront with the production of COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna. Those COVID-19 mRNA vaccines were fast-tracked through the regulatory process and granted emergency use authorization. The new vaccines under development in Africa face a far longer development timeline — anywhere from three to seven years. It has spent billions of dollars to vaccinate against polio, treat and prevent malaria and HIV and more recently advance vaccines for diseases like cholera.

Persons: Melinda Gates, Bill Gates, “, Dr, Amadou Sall, ” Sall, COVID, ” Jose Castillo, ___ Mark Carlson Organizations: Melinda Gates Foundation, Associated Press, Institut Pasteur, Quantoom Biosciences, Pfizer, Moderna, Gates Foundation Locations: DAKAR, Senegal, Africa, Dakar, South Africa, Belgium, Crimean, Congo, Nivelles

Over the past few years, she has administered some 10,000 coronavirus vaccines in her community in eastern Ethiopia. “But I keep going because I value the work.”Ms. Yusuf is one in a legion of more than three million community health workers globally and is one of a small minority that are actually paid anything at all. Eighty-six percent of community health workers in Africa are completely unpaid. But now, spurred by frustrations that arose during the Covid pandemic and connected by digital technologies that have reached even remote areas, community health workers are organizing to fight for fair compensation. The movement stretches across developing countries and echoes the labor actions undertaken by female garment workers in many of those nations 40 years ago.

Persons: Misra Yusuf, ”, ” Ms, Yusuf Organizations: Ethiopian Locations: Ethiopia, Africa

☆ Peru Doctors Save Toddler Who Swallowed Eight Medical Needles
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

LIMA (Reuters) - Doctors in northeastern Peru saved the life of a 2-year-old boy who had swallowed eight injection needles while playing. Local media reported that the needles were used to vaccinate farm animals where the boy's mother works. The boy, whose name was not revealed, lives in agricultural area of Taratopo, some 622 kilometers (386 miles) from capital Lima. "Maybe he swallowed them when he was there playing," the boy's mother said. The boy's life was not at risk following surgery, local media added.

Persons: Dr, Efrain Salazar, Carolina Pulice, Sandra Maler Organizations: Reuters, Local Locations: LIMA, Peru, Taratopo, Lima

☆ Fact Check-Panelist did not say WEF would add vaccines to water
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The World Economic Forum (WEF) is not planning to put vaccines in water supplies, contrary to claims in some online posts. A post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, (here) reads: “The WEF wants to vaccinate you through your water now,” and boasts over 11,800 likes. “WEF never made any statement about or is having any plan to add COVID vaccines to the water.’’ He also stressed the Global Commission on the Economics of Water is an organization independent to the WEF. The WEF did not say it would add vaccines to water. A Davos panelist compared global COVID-19 vaccination rates to addressing global water issues.

Persons: Mariana Mazzucato, Yann Zopf, “ WEF, Read Organizations: Economic, Twitter, Facebook, University College London, UCL Institute for Innovation, Global Commission, Reuters Locations: Davos

☆ Moderna's updated COVID vaccine effective against 'Eris' variant in humans
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Vials of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are seen at Apotex pharmaceutical company as Humber River Hospital's mobile vaccine clinic vaccinate employees as part of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination campaign, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada April 13, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies BioNTech SE FollowModerna Inc FollowNovavax Inc Follow Show more companiesAug 17 (Reuters) - Moderna (MRNA.O) said on Thursday an initial study data showed its updated COVID-19 vaccine to be effective against the "Eris" and "Fornax" subvariants in humans. Moderna and other COVID-19 vaccine makers Novavax (NVAX.O), Pfizer (PFE.N) and German partner BioNTech SE (22UAy.DE) have created versions of their shots aimed at the XBB.1.5 subvariant. Earlier on Thursday, Pfizer reported that its updated COVID-19 shot, co-developed with BioNTech, showed neutralizing activity against the Eris subvariant in a study conducted on mice. Eris, the nickname for EG.5, is similar to the XBB.1.5 subvariant and a sub-lineage of the still-dominant Omicron variant.

Persons: Carlos Osorio, BioNTech, Pratik Jain, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Moderna, REUTERS, Pfizer, EG, Omicron, World Health Organization, Thomson Locations: Humber, Toronto , Ontario, Canada, United States, Europe, U.S, Bengaluru

Image The Pioneer Inn in Lahaina, Hawaii, last year. Image Shops and dining destinations along the sidewalks and streets in Lahaina, Maui. Mr. Hedani said the fabled beach areas on Oahu that Hawaii is best known for held nothing on Lahaina. “The sunset looks fake every time I see it.”Image Sunset in Lahaina, Hawaii. “What happens when you take away the most important street on Maui?” he said.

Persons: George Alan Freeland, Freeland’s, ”, Theo Morrison, Daejas, Baldwin, Ephraim Spaulding, Dwight Baldwin, Morrison, Mark Twain, “, —, Kiha Kaina, Patrick T, Kaina, Lee Anne Wong, Wong, Tony Novak, Clifford, Ronald Williams, Williams, it’s, Jared Hedani, Tommy Bahama, Hedani, “ You’re, Jim Wilson, Kamehameha the, Kaniela Ing, Ing, “ I’d, Amy Qin, David W, Chen, Mitch Smith Organizations: Lahaina Restoration Foundation, The New York Times, East Coast, ., Fallon, Agence France, French Culinary Institute, Hawaii State Archives, New York Times, Green New Deal Network Locations: Lahaina, British, Maui, Hawaii, “, United States, Lahaina , Hawaii, Massachusetts, East, Berkeley, Calif, ”, Papa’aina, New York City, Maui . Credit, Mexico City, Shaw, Paradise, Oahu, Waikiki

The losses in Lahaina from the fire now include the historic Baldwin Home, which houses the restoration foundation’s main office and was considered the oldest house still standing on the island of Maui. It was built between 1834-35 by the Rev. Ephraim Spaulding, a missionary from Massachusetts who prized its proximity to the waters where whaling ships once anchored. The home contained the wooden rocking chairs that the family of the Rev. Unlike others in Lahaina whose families in the area stretch back generations, Ms. Morrison, 75, from Berkeley, Calif., happened upon the town while sailing around the Hawaiian islands in 1975.

Persons: Baldwin, Ephraim Spaulding, Dwight Baldwin, Morrison, Mark Twain, ”, “, — Organizations: East Coast Locations: Lahaina, Maui, Massachusetts, East, Berkeley, Calif, ”

The Tomohon Extreme Market was once a top tourist attraction in the Indonesian province of North Sulawesi — a live animal market filled with everything from fileted pythons to skewered bats and rats. Activists urged major travel companies to stop recommending the market as a tourism site, said Lola Webber, Humane Society International's director of campaigns. "Bali dealt with this issue by poisoning stray dogs, which ended up being just as bad, if not worse, than those that have been subjected to the dog meat trade." In a Tripadvisor post on March 5, a user discusses reading about Sulawesi's dog meat trade. The post states: "Well the next trip was going to be to Sulawesi, Indonesia ...

Persons: Lola Webber, —, you'll, Webber, Caroll Senduk, International's Lola Webber, Michael, Frank Delano Manus, We've, who've, Manus, Rahul Sehgal, Tripadvisor Organizations: Humane Society, Companies, Tripadvisor, Free, Friends, CNBC Travel, World Health Organization, Animal Welfare, Animal Friends, Humane Society International, Free Indonesia, CNBC, Soi Dog Locations: Indonesian, North Sulawesi, Sulawesi, Tomohon's, Free Indonesia, Indonesia, Bali, Karanganyar, Java, Medan, Jakarta, Asia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, South Korea, Vietnam

☆ New Covid vaccines are coming to the U.S. this fall, but uptake may be low — Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Regardless of that shift, experts say vaccine uptake may not look much different from that of the bivalent boosters. Pandemic fatigue, confusionFatigue over the pandemic and the general belief that Covid is "over" could potentially hinder the uptake of new shots this fall, experts said. Ipsos and Axios released a survey with similar findings in May, the same month the U.S. ended the national Covid public health emergency amid a downward trend in cases, hospitalizations and deaths. "That contrasts with what we've seen in the past where there are different vaccines, different timing, different age groups and something new to consider every few months." Advisors to the FDA have raised concerns about shifting to yearly Covid vaccines, noting that it's unclear if the virus is seasonal like the flu.

Persons: Antonio Perez, Axios, isn't, Dr, Kartik Cherabuddi, Brad Pollock, Pollock, they're, Ashley McGee, Justin Sullivan, CDC hasn't, Covid, KFF's Kates, Michael Nagle, Kates, we've Organizations: Chicago CVS, Tribune, Service, Getty Images Pfizer, Moderna, Pfizer, Gallup, University of Florida, CNBC, UC Davis Health's, Safeway, CDC, Food and Drug Administration, Health, Human Services Department, FDA, Xinhua News Agency, Getty Locations: Chicago, U.S, San Rafael , California, New York, United States

☆ RFK Jr. complained about not getting Secret Service protection. The truth is very few candidates do.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lashed out at the Biden administration for not granting him Secret Service protection. "Since the assassination of my father in 1968, candidates for president are provided Secret Service protection. Not all campaigns welcome Secret Service protection either. One is that Secret Service protection is covered by taxpayers. Secondly, the presence of Secret Service agents gives any hopeful the aura of being the leader of the free world.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Biden, Kennedy, Long, Robert Kennedy Jr, New York Sen, Alejandro Mayorkas, Kevin McCarthy, Mitch McConnell, It's, Ben Carson, Donald Trump, BuzzFeed, Sen, John McCain's Organizations: Service, Twitter, NPR, Homeland, DHS, Super Bowl, Agents, United Nations General Assembly, Secret Service Locations: Wall, Silicon, New York

☆ Fact Check-No evidence that Amish kids have ‘zero’ cancer, diabetes and autism
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

However, a screenshot shared on Facebook shows the headline of an article on the Slay News website that reads: “Zero Amish Children Diagnosed with Cancer, Diabetes or Autism” (here). A similar post on X, formerly known as Twitter, cites an article published by the Leading Report website titled “New Study Finds Zero Amish Children Diagnosed with Cancer, Diabetes or Autism” (here). But outside such studies, Amish children might not be diagnosed as often. Reuters has previously addressed a false claim that the Amish community was unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic (here). Amish children do not have “zero” incidence of cancer, diabetes and autism.

Persons: “, ”, Dr, Douglas Vaughan, ” Vaughan, Vaughan, Read Organizations: Reuters, Facebook, Slay News, Cancer, Diabetes, Autism, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Locations: United States, Europe, Ohio, Maryland, Indiana, Adams County

☆ The cult of Emily Oster
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Sarah Todd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +30 min

Emily Oster is sitting in the back of a car, checking her Garmin watch as we lurch through rush-hour traffic toward the Holland Tunnel. A self-described expert in data, Oster uses her economics training to dig into studies on things like circumcision and screen time and translate them for popular consumption. There doesn't seem to be much of a gap between the way Oster presents herself in her books and newsletters and the way she conducts her life. Unsurprisingly, economics informs every aspect of the way Oster sees the world. When Oster was a toddler, her mother told a Yale colleague that Oster often talked to herself before falling asleep.

Persons: Emily Oster, doesn't, Oster, Taylor Swift, Spock, —, Mandy Moore, Emily DiDonato, Amy Schumer, " Oster, Emily, Aisha McAdams, Claudia Goldin, who's, Lori Feldman, " Feldman, Winter, It's, reopenings, Timothy Caulfield, Oster's Brown, OSTER, She's, Sheryl Sandberg's, Brown, Denis Tangney Jr, graham, Eminem, Sharon Oster, Ray Fair, Jesse Shapiro, Katherine Nelson, Carl, Choate Rosemary Hall, John F, Kennedy, Glenn Close, Ivanka Trump, Goldin, Steven Levitt —, Oster —, Paul Farmer, Steven Levitt, Oster's, Levitt, Robert Barro, demographer Monica Das Gupta, Joseph Delaney, she'd, I've, Matt Notowidigdo, Chicago Booth, hadn't, Udo Salters, Patrick McMullan, Shapiro, Jessica Calarco, Dr, Anthony Fauci, Donald Trump, Calarco, Rochelle Walensky, Delaney, University of Manitoba epidemiologist, Abigail Cartus, Justin Feldman, Delivette Castor, they're, COVID, Castor, Notowidigdo, Carter, you'd, she's, there's Organizations: Garmin, Brown University, New York Times, American Academy of Pediatrics, Yorker, Yale School of Management, Yale, Harvard, Connecticut, Choate, University of Chicago, Forbes, Wall, Publicly, University of Manitoba, Getty, Oster, Centers for Disease Control, Columbia University, Harvard Business School Locations: Holland, Montclair , New Jersey, Montclair, Harvard, Providence , Rhode Island, New Haven , Connecticut, China, Canada, Chicago, Ohio, New Jersey

☆ Bill Ackman wants you to know exactly why he's been stirring the anti-vaccine pot all weekend
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

He's offering to fork out $150,000 for scientist Peter Hotez to debate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the topic of vaccines. "This is a debate that you cannot walk away from," Ackman tweeted at Hotez. Billionaire investor Bill Ackman, who's spent a good chunk of the weekend putting his weight — and his money — behind the prospect of a Joe Rogan-hosted vaccine debate, wants you to know he's not an anti-vaxxer or an advocate for conspiracy theories. "If you are truly interested in saving lives, you need to further the public's understanding of the truth about vaccines," Ackman added. Every day we wait, thousands more will die," Ackman tweeted at the time.

Persons: Bill Ackman, Peter Hotez, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Ackman, who's, Joe Rogan, Rogan, Kennedy, Elon Musk, Musk, Rogan —, Hotez, dogpiling, snowballing — Ackman Organizations: Morning, Pershing, Twitter, MSNBC, Ackman

☆ Scottish wildcats bred in captivity released to the wild in a bid to save the species from extinction
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Mark Tutton | Sarah Lazarus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The cats were bred and released by Saving Wildcats, a European project led by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) in partnership with a group of conservation and governmental organizations. “It’s a really exciting milestone,” says Dr. Helen Senn, project lead for Saving Wildcats and head of conservation and science programs at RZSS. Saving Wildcats has taken every effort to ensure the captive-bred cats will have the instincts and hunting skills needed for survival in the wild. Saving Wildcats hopes to keep breeding and releasing around 20 kittens annually over the next few years to give the wild population the best chance of getting established. Wildcats could be drivers for healthier ecosystems because creating better habitat for them will benefit many other species, says Senn.

Persons: CNN — Young, “, ”, Helen Senn, “ They’ve, “ We’re, Senn, we’ve Organizations: CNN, wildcats, Scottish Highlands, Saving Wildcats, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Highland, International Union for Conservation, Group, Wildcats, Cairngorms, ”, Wildcats Feline Locations: Britain, Scotland, Europe, England, Wales, Kincraig, Scottish

☆ Fact Check-False claim of COVID vaccine link to AIDS-related illnesses recirculates
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The Expose article says that its central claim is based on a “cherry-picked” list of conditions associated with AIDS and HIV infection. Any increase in the incidence of the listed conditions “would not necessarily be proof that the COVID-19 vaccines cause weakened immune systems,” Mimiaga noted. The claim that COVID vaccines can cause “vaccine-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome” or “VAIDS” has been shared since 2021. Similar claims that COVID vaccines cause HIV infections, AIDS or AIDS-like immune weakening have also been debunked (here), (here). The posts stem from a story that uses unreliable data to falsely suggest a link between COVID vaccines and AIDS-associated diseases and cancers, according to independent health experts.

Persons: ”, VAERS, Matthew Mimiaga, Mimiaga, Thomas Russo, ” Mimiaga, ” Russo, Read Organizations: Reuters, U.S, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC, Facebook, Food and Drug Administration, University of California, Fielding School of Public Health, ”, myocarditis, University, Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine, Biomedical Sciences Locations: United States, Los Angeles, COVID

☆ Fact Check-SKYCovion vaccine is not sprayed from aircraft
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A South Korean COVID-19 vaccine recently authorised in Britain is administered by injection, not sprayed into the sky from aircraft, as social media posts falsely claim. Some social media users have since been saying that SKYCovion will be sprayed on people from aircraft in a possible misinterpretation of the vaccine’s name (here). However, the vaccine is not based on mRNA and is administered through intramuscular injection, according to the MHRA and SK bioscience. SKYCovion is not an mRNA vaccine but has a traditional protein-antigen design. The SKYCovion vaccine authorised in Britain is injected intramuscularly, not sprayed from the sky.

Persons: chemtrails, Read Organizations: South, SK bioscience, GlaxoSmithKline, GSK, SK Chemicals, Britain’s Medicines, Healthcare, Agency, Twitter, ” SK bioscience, Reuters Locations: Britain, South Korean

☆ 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.

☆ Opinion: Why I’m not reassured by our victory over Covid-19
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Opinion Kent Sepkowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Editor’s note: Kent Sepkowitz is a physician and infectious disease expert at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. CNN —At long last, the Covid-19 pandemic has entered its whimper phase. Last week, the World Health Organization decided to end the Covid-19 global health emergency. The US public health emergency is scheduled to end on Thursday, and beginning the following day, vaccination against Covid-19 will no longer be required for non-US travelers entering the States. Infectious diseases don’t ever really go away; they just change a little, then change some more till one day, they return bigger and fiercer than ever.

☆ US government is testing avian flu vaccines for birds, but ending the historic outbreak isn’t that simple
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Eradication and vaccinationAs of April 26, the CDC says, nearly 58.8 million poultry have been affected by avian flu since January 2022. The virus has been detected in at least 6,737 wild birds, and the number is likely to be much higher. Vaccinated birds would be protected, but with this highly infectious disease, they still could shed some virus that could infect unprotected birds. Partial protection means more birds will be spreading the virus,” Gallardo said. The US has the largest poultry industry in the world, with 294,000 poultry farms.

☆ COVID-19 vaccination for health workers no longer mandatory, but favoured, France's health body says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A medical worker prepares a dose of the "Cominarty" Pfizer-Bivalent coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine at a vaccination center in Nice as a new surge in the COVID-19 outbreak starts in France, December 7, 2022. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File PhotoPARIS, March 30 (Reuters) - France's public health authority Haute Autorite de Sante (HAS)on Thursday eased its vaccination guidance for professionals in the health sector, saying the shot was no longer mandatory, but still strongly recommended, in light of recent epidemiological data. France's decision at the height of the pandemic to suspend the work contracts of doctors, nurses and other health workers who refused to take a COVID-19 vaccination, was highly controversial. The government had argued the move was necessary to keep hospitals safe, while unions said it further reduced available workforce in France's chronically under-staffed health sector. Reporting by Tassilo Hummel, editing by Charlotte Van CampenhoutOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Fact Check-Michigan incentive program for children’s vaccines paid far less than $40,000 to individual providers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The posts read, “DID YOU KNOW: Blue Cross Blue Shield pays pediatricians a $40,000 bonus for fully vaccinating 100 patients under the age of 2. The full document does describe an incentive program offered to Michigan providers in 2016, and the excerpt seen in the posts about childhood vaccines is on the document’s page 15. “While vaccinations may fall into that category, they would not be the sole performance measure,” said a spokesperson for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), which represents the insurer’s affiliates in multiple states. Each of the 34 Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies “sets its own value-based contracts and determines which performance measures would be taken into account for incentives,” she added. A 2016 Michigan program paid individual providers smaller maximum amounts for vaccinating children than claimed online.

☆ Bird flu alarm drives world towards once-shunned vaccines
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Sybille De La Hamaide | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

"That's why every country in the world is worried about bird flu," French agriculture minister Marc Fesneau said. But the fear of trade restrictions remains centre stage for countries reluctant to vaccinate poultry against bird flu. Bird flu can also mutate rapidly and reduce the efficacy of vaccines while programmes are costly and time consuming, as shots often need to be administered individually. Ceva said it was using the mRNA technology used in some COVID shots for the first time in poultry vaccines. The global market for bird flu vaccines would be about 800 million to 1 billion doses per year, excluding China, said Sylvain Comte, corporate marketing director for poultry at Ceva.

☆ Fact Check-Chinese study made coronavirus antibodies in eggs by vaccinating hens
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A 2021 study in China investigated antibodies generated by immunizing hens with a specific protein from the SARS-CoV-2 virus and found that the antibodies extracted from yolks could neutralize some versions of the coronavirus tested in the lab. The results do not mean that all egg yolks contain coronavirus-neutralizing antibodies or that eating eggs would prevent COVID-19, as suggested in some widely shared posts online. Posts refer to a study originally published in November 2020 (here), which analyzed immunoglobulin Y (or lgY) antibodies generated in the yolks of eggs from laying hens that had been immunized with the “spike” protein from SARS-CoV-2. Not all eggs, however, contain the specific antibodies that neutralize SARS-CoV-2, Rodrigo Gallardo, professor in poultry medicine at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, told Reuters via email. A study in China immunized hens to generate antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in their eggs, it did not find that all eggs contain such antibodies or that eggs have any effect on COVID.

☆ DeSantis' plans for Florida this year include tax cuts for gas stoves and more elections police. The proposals are widely viewed as targeting GOP voters nationally.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Banning vaccine and mask mandatesDeSantis wants the Florida legislature to permanently ban COVID vaccine and mask mandates. It's not clear how much of a difference a new, permanent Florida law would make. DeSantis will ask the Florida legislature to permanently lift the state's 6% sales tax on baby necessities including on cribs, strollers, clothing, shoes, wipes, and diapers. But some analysts, such as Howard Gleckman at the Tax Policy Center, have warned that tax breaks could actually worsen inflation because people will spend and consume more at a time when supplies are limited. Currently, state law requires a vote be unanimous.

☆ Biden will tap former COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients as his next White House chief of staff, succeeding Ron Klain: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

President Biden has tapped Jeff Zients to be his next chief of staff, per The Washington Post. Zients would replace Ron Klain, a longtime aide who has been chief of staff since January 2021. A former White House counselor, Zients led the administration's coronavirus response efforts. Zients — a one-time White House counselor — oversaw the administration's COVID-19 response efforts, which included the massive push to vaccinate millions of Americans across the country. He then came onboard at the start of the Biden administration in January 2021, serving as both a counselor and the coronavirus response coordinator until April 2022.Insider reached out to the White House for comment.

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