Fauci Grilled by Subcommittee; Vaccine Sales Plunge; Nanoplastics in Water

— Health news and commentary from around the Web gathered by MedPage Today staff

by
Jennifer Henderson, Enterprise & Investigative Writer, MedPage Today
January 9, 2024

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Anthony Fauci, MD, former chief medical adviser to the White House, sat for the first of 2 days of meetings with the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, responding to questions regarding COVID-19 and offering expertise on preparing for future outbreaks. (The Hill)

Moderna reported that COVID vaccine sales plunged by about two-thirds in 2023 as fewer people rolled up their sleeves for an updated shot. (CNBC)

The American Red Cross declared an emergency blood shortage as the number of donors hits a 20-year low. (CNN)

The FDA recognized vaporized hydrogen peroxide as an established method of sterilization for medical devices.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and a group of Senate Democrats announced an investigation into the high costs of asthma inhalers. (The Hill)

Canada cautioned that bulk importation is not an effective solution to high drug prices in the U.S. (Reuters)

An average of 240,000 particles of plastic — 90% of which were nanoplastics — were found in liters of bottled water, researchers reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The amount is 10 to 100 times larger than prior estimates. (Newsweek)

Less than 2 years after overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court has been unable to dodge abortion cases. (The Hill)

Though the FDA warned that an asthma drug could induce despair, many people say they were never told. (New York Times)

Rising malpractice premiums are pricing small clinics out of gender-affirming care for minors. (KFF Health News)

Do people eat more calories after stopping weight loss drugs? A Deutsche Bank survey indicated so. (CNBC)

Megadyne Medical Products has recalled its Mega Soft Universal Patient Return Electrode over reports of patient burns, with the FDA classifying it as a Class I recall, the most serious kind.

Residential addiction treatment for adolescents is both scarce and expensive, an NIH-supported analysis published in Health Affairs found.

The FDA approved the Teneo Excimer Laser Platform for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) vision correction surgery for nearsightedness and nearsightedness with astigmatism, Bausch + Lomb Corporation announced.

Is mammography artificial intelligence (AI) — which can cost extra — worth it for patients? (CBS News)

Casino employees are seeking to ban tobacco smoke in a bid to help clear the air in their workplace. (CNN)

The Supreme Court declined to review a flavored cigarette ban in California. (The Hill)

Olympic gold medal gymnast Mary Lou Retton detailed a life-threatening bout of pneumonia she experienced last year. (NBC News)