First Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill Approved by FDA
On July 13, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first ever non-prescription birth control pill. The progestin-only oral contraceptive known as Opill (norgestrel) is expected to be available in pharmacies, supermarkets, and convenience stores by early 2024. Opill claims a 93 percent efficacy rate in pregnancy prevention.1 Norgestrel Originally Approved in […]
Childhood Vaccination Programs Face Major Cuts in Federal Funding
State vaccination programs for children will face a reduction in funding from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grants. The federal immunization grant program, which funds the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, totaled approximately $680 million last year.1 The reduction in funding is alleged to be due to the debt ceiling deal reached […]
Novel mRNA Lyme Shots Could Be Released in 2025
Two novel messenger RNA (mRNA) shots for Lyme disease currently in late-stage clinical trials could hit the market as early as 2025, Moderna announced earlier this year. Also in the race to develop the first-ever mRNA product to prevent Lyme disease are Pfizer and Austria-based Valneva, which entered into a collaborative agreement in April 2020 […]
Annual COVID Shot. Is it Inevitable?
In a recent interview, the newly appointed director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggested that the agency may soon come out with a recommendation for Americans to be vaccinated for COVID-19 every year.1 2 Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH, who was sworn in as the 20th CDC director on July 10, […]
U.S. Appellate Court Blocks Injunction Against Federal Agencies Acting to Censor Free Speech
Freedom of speech in the United States was delivered a blow on July 14, 2023 when a U.S. Federal Appeals Court issued a temporary stay blocking a preliminary injunction which limited the U.S. Justice Department’s communication with social media companies seeking to remove “content containing protected free speech.” The Appellate Court panel of Judges, Judge […]
More Young People Dying of Heart Attacks
Opinion | Since the COVID-19 pandemic, more young people in the United States are dying of heart attacks. That’s the headline of a recent article by Maura Hohman in TODAY magazine.1 Citing a study by doctors at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles, California published in the Journal of Medical Virology2 in September 2022, Hohman writes: […]