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Good morning and happy Thursday. Just a quick note: the newsletter will be on a summer hiatus next week, so this is the last update from me until the 17th. (Rose will still bring you the end-of-week news tomorrow.) Catch you later!
We finally have an official CDC director again
Erica Schwartz has been confirmed as the CDC director, becoming the second permanent leader under the second Trump administration. Her appointment fills a role that has been vacant for nearly a year following her predecessor’s dismissal.
The agency is currently dealing with multiple issues, including measles and a foodborne parasite in the U.S., as well as the second-largest Ebola outbreak in Africa. The public health community will be keen to see Schwartz’s approach to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s assertive vaccine policy agenda. STAT’s Chelsea Cirruzzo offers more insights on the confirmation process.
How measles elimination status is evaluated
On the topic of measles: A U.S. committee will soon review measles data to make a recommendation to the Pan American Health Organization regarding the U.S.’s measles elimination status. STAT has published a First Opinion essay by the chair of that committee today.
“These data are public and show a runaway train,” writes Noel T. Brewer. The case numbers this year serve as “a stark reminder that public health victories can be reversed.” Read more on how the committee evaluates this data, the latest updates in this year’s report, and its significance.
FDA approves Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine
The FDA has approved Moderna’s mFlusiva, an influenza vaccine for older adults and the first flu shot using mRNA technology. This approval concludes a series of events that began in February, when Vinay Prasad, then-head of biologics at the FDA, issued a “refuse-to-file” notice, against the advice of career staff. Shortly after, Moderna disclosed the FDA’s decision and its dissatisfaction, leading to a reversal of Prasad’s decision. STAT’s Helen Branswell provides more details.
A second child dies in a Chinese gene-editing trial
Last month, Science reported the death of a 6-year-old girl in a Chinese gene-editing trial that was not disclosed by researchers, who instead published results from mice trials. Now, another Chinese institution has acknowledged the death of a second child in gene-editing research. Following a year of silence on a Duchenne muscular dystrophy study and a prolonged STAT investigation, HuidaGene has revealed the trial was ended after a young boy died post-therapy.
The disclosure raises questions about the transparency and quality of China’s less regulated drug trial pathway, which is gaining traction in the U.S. “The thing that bothers me is the lack of transparency,” said Kiran Musunuru, a gene-editing researcher at the University of Pennsylvania. “There could be many of these events and we have no idea.” Read more from STAT’s Jason Mast and Brian Yang on the implications.
Poop pills for peanut allergies?
While peanut allergies in children have decreased recently, many still suffer from them. A new small clinical trial brings hope through a fecal microbiome transplant via “stool capsules.”
Out of 15 participants with peanut allergies, six showed improved tolerance one month after the transplant, with some effects lasting up to four months. STAT’s Lauren Chan explores the remaining questions and future research directions.
Covid can reactivate dormant viruses, per study
Emerging research indicates that a Covid-19 infection can reactivate common chronic viruses like Epstein-Barr and cytomegalovirus. A study in Nature reveals that in hospitalized Covid patients, the reactivation of certain dormant viruses correlates with disease severity. There are also patterns in when these viruses reactivate during illness.
The study, which includes data from over 1,100 hospitalized Covid patients, found significant reactivation of the Herpesviridae and Anelloviridae virus families during acute infections. Anelloviridae reactivation, in particular, was closely linked to long-term physical disability and long Covid. These reactivations occurred frequently in “immunocompetent” individuals, challenging the notion that reactivation is confined to those with compromised immune systems, the authors noted.
What we’re reading
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I traded coffee for energy drinks — and nearly lost my mind, the Wall Street Journal
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The U.S. relies on family caregivers. Millions of them are kids, the New York Times Magazine
- Takeda’s narcolepsy drug approved by the FDA, seen as a boon for new class of treatments, STAT
- How a community in Maine is fighting to save their birthing center, NPR
