CDC advisory group votes to add COVID-19 vaccines to the pediatric immunization schedule; a new report says workplaces can be hazardous to the mental and physical health of Americans; drug makers are lobbying to ease the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act.
CDC Advisory Group Votes to Add COVID-19 to Pediatric Immunization Schedule
In a unanimous 15-to-0 vote, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) approved adding the COVID-19 vaccine to the recommended immunizations for children, according to CIDRAP. States often use the immunization schedule as a guide, but not all states require the vaccines on the schedule. The recommendation came a day after ACIP approved adding vaccines for COVID-19 to a program that provides free vaccines for children who either can’t afford them or who are uninsured.
Work Can Be Hazardous to Mental and Physical Health
Workplaces can be hazardous to Americans’ mental health and well-being, as well as their physical health, according to a new report from the United States Surgeon General. According to STAT, the report drew attention to factors like racism, bullying, and powerlessness at work, which contribute to ill health. The report calls on companies to protect employees from physical harm, by implementing basic safety, and psychological harm, by protecting against harassment. In addition, the report calls for workers to have adequate time off.
Drug Makers Lobby Against Impacts of the IRA
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) gives Medicare the authority to negotiate drug prices for certain therapies, and drug makers are seeking to ease the impact of the law, reported The Wall Street Journal. Both the Biotechnology Innovation Organization and Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the 2 largest grade groups for the pharmaceutical industry, say the law threatens investment in drug development without doing enough to lower drug costs for patients. Both groups are working to limit the effect the law will have on drug research.
LLMs Show Promise, But Challenges Remain in Improving Inefficient Clinical Trial Screening
July 31st 2025Large language models (LLMs) such as GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 may offer a solution to the costly and inefficient process of manual clinical trial screening, which is often hindered by the inability of structured electronic health record data to capture all necessary criteria.
Read More
Trends in Insulin Out-of-Pocket Costs and Use Disparities, 2008-2021
July 31st 2025Given trends in cost and use, insulin out-of-pocket cost reduction policies would be more efficient if they targeted members in high-deductible health plans with savings options and low-income patients.
Read More
Proposed SNAP Cuts Could Threaten Prevention for Cognitive Decline, Dementias
July 30th 2025Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits may slow cognitive decline in older adults, highlighting the importance of food assistance in combating Alzheimer disease and dementia risks.
Read More