CDC Proposes ‘Morning After’ Pill to Prevent STIs
The CDC has moved to recommend doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for gay and bisexual men and transgender women to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs). With a growing body of evidence showing the antibiotic’s effectiveness for the indication, the agency developed the proposed guideline and posted it to Regulations.gov on Monday, with a 45-day comment period. […]
Antibody for Infant RSV Prevention to Face FDA Panel
An FDA advisory committee on Thursday will consider whether to recommend a shot of a monoclonal antibody against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) to prevent lower respiratory tract disease in both infants and in at-risk children up to age 2 years. The Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee will examine a biologics license application approval for nirsevimab, a […]
Do Away With ‘Lockout’ Period in iPLEDGE, FDA Advisors Urge
An FDA advisory committee on Wednesday voted 17-4 (with one abstention) to recommend removing a “lockout period” from a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS) for isotretinoin prescribing that requires patients to wait an extra 19 days — and take an additional pregnancy test — if they miss a 7-day window for picking up their […]
CDC Panel Backs Novavax COVID Vaccine for Adults
The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted unanimously to recommend Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 18 and up. With a vote of 12-0, the advisory panel endorsed a two-dose primary series of the adjuvanted, protein-based vaccine, which will be administered 3 weeks apart. The recommendation follows FDA’s emergency use authorization last week. Shortly […]
FDA Panel Gives Thumbs Up to Omicron-Containing COVID Boosters
An FDA advisory committee voted 19-2 on Tuesday to recommend use of an Omicron-specific component in a future COVID-19 vaccine booster. “We really do need vaccines that provide broader protection against variants that have not yet emerged,” said Melinda Wharton, MD, MPH, associate director of vaccine policy at the CDC, at a remote meeting of […]
ACIP Backs Moderna’s COVID Shot for Kids 6-17 Years
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted unanimously on Thursday to recommend that children ages 6-17 years receive Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. With a 15-0 vote, ACIP endorsed a two-dose primary series of the mRNA vaccine for kids ages 6-11 years (50 mcg per dose) and adolescents ages 12-17 (100 mcg per dose). The […]
CDC’s Advisers Endorse COVID Vaccines in Youngest Kids
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted unanimously on Saturday to recommend that children 6 months and older receive COVID-19 vaccines. As proposed by CDC staff, and now approved by CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, the recommendations call for a two-dose series of Moderna’s product for children ages 6 months to 5 […]
Man Accidentally Inhales Drill Bit During Dental Procedure
Ten out of 10 dentists recommend not inhaling a drill bit during a routine dental procedure. And so does at least one Illinois man who has recovered after an ill-timed cough during a routine tooth filling deposited a nearly inch-long drill bit deep in the lower right lobe of his lung. Advertisement “I was at […]
Is It Safe to Take Tylenol or Ibuprofen Before COVID-19 Vaccine?
The CDC does not recommend taking Tylenol or ibuprofen before getting the COVID-19 vaccine, as doing so may weaken its effectiveness Because taking over-the-counter painkillers before getting vaccinated may reduce the responsiveness of your immune system and therefore weaken the effectiveness of the vaccine, the CDC does not recommend taking Tylenol or ibuprofen before getting […]
CDC Panel: Thumbs Down on Pfizer Booster for Healthcare Workers
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted Thursday to unanimously recommend a booster dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine (Comirnaty) for adults ages 65 and up and those in long-term care facilities, as well as for adults ages 50 to 64 with high-risk medical conditions (by a vote of 13-2), but that was where […]