
US FDA advisers to consider if new COVID shots should target LP.8.1 subvariant
May 20 (Reuters) - Advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will discuss whether to recommend COVID-19 vaccines for 2025-26 for targetting the LP.8.1 subvariant, documents filed on Tuesday showed.
The panel of advisers will make recommendations on the selection of the 2025-2026 formula for COVID-19 vaccines for use in the United States on Thursday.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Guardian
22 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Texas measles outbreak ‘on the decline', officials say
The measles outbreak that began sweeping across west Texas earlier this year is showing signs of slowing, according to the state's health services department. For the first time since the outbreak was first reported in January, no new cases were added in the department's latest update. The total case count remains at 742, a figure that has been updated biweekly by state officials. 'Thankfully, this large outbreak that we've been tracking in west Texas does seem to be on the decline,' Dr Jennifer Shuford, commissioner of the the state health services department told the Texas Standard, though she warned that 'it just takes one person to get into an under-vaccinated community to cause another outbreak'. Measles had been declared eliminated from the US in 2000, but it has been spreading in undervaccinated communities. Though most of Texas's outbreak has been concentrated in its western part, sporadic cases have appeared elsewhere in the state. Some of these cases have been linked to international travel while others remain under investigation due to unclear origins. The majority of cases have been reported in Gaines county, home to a Mennonite community with historically low childhood immunization rates. Two children from the affected region, both unvaccinated and with no known pre-existing conditions, have died due to the disease. The earlier of those deaths was the first in the US from measles since 2015. According to the latest Texas state health services department figures, fewer than 10 of the confirmed cases are currently considered infectious – which is defined as individuals within four days before or after the appearance of the measles rash. Since January, 94 people have been hospitalized. The state health agency has identified seven counties with ongoing measles transmission: Cochran, Dawson, Gaines, Lamar, Lubbock, Terry and Yoakum. The agency says it continues to work closely with local health officials to monitor and contain the spread. Shuford says that the department has struggled to adequately encourage community members to get vaccinated, explaining that the state health service department is 'really trying to strengthen our messaging at all times and so that we already have a relationship with different communities'. She added that 'vaccines are just such an instrumental way for us to maintain a healthy society that can be productive'.


The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
What is ‘tech neck' and how can you fix it?
With nearly 86 percent of full-time American workers spending long, unhealthy hours sitting at their desks, leaning over computers, or staring down at their phones, many have found themselves suffering from 'tech neck.' The condition, sometimes also referred to as 'text neck," is used to describe pain and discomfort in the neck that can happen when someone bends their head down. The problem is pressure, with experts saying that holding your head at a 45-degree angle can feel like 50 pounds of weight. "That's like having an 8-pound bowling ball as your head. Then you have 72 pounds at your elbow and 96 pounds on your shoulder," Brian Langenhorst, industrial and ergonomics specialist at Wisconsin's La Crosse Mayo Clinic Health System, said. "I probably see tech neck on a weekly basis at businesses, schools and industry." There has been an increase in cases in recent years, but there are ways to prevent the condition. Here's how to fix it. Stretch those neck muscles out Stretches should be done frequently for the best benefits, according to sports medicine Dr. Jeffrey Peng. "Five minutes is really all you need to stretch out the neck," he said. "But the key is to do these stretches frequently — ideally, three times per day. That way, you are slowly increasing mobility and range of motion of the neck muscles that often get tighter and tighter throughout the day.' He recommends touching your ear to your shoulder to stretch the upper trapezius, a large shoulder muscle. For further pressure, put gentle pressure on your head using your hand. Hold it for 30 seconds. You can also stretch the levator scapula: a neck muscle that runs along the upper back on neck on either side of the spine. With the head turned diagonally, pull down on it with one hand and guide the other hand to rest on the base of the neck. To target the anterior scalene — which helps to flex the neck and elevate the first rib — pull the ear toward the shoulder, look up, and lean back. Improve your posture Adjust your monitor to the right level, with eye height about a half inch to one and a half inches higher than the top characters on your screen. Sit with your head, hips, and spine stacked, and keep your wrists straight and elbows bent at a 90-degree angle. Your feet should be flat on the floor and your knees should be aligned with your hips. When using a phone, place pillows on your lap to support your forearms and try to hold the phone or tablet in an upright and angled position. By looking straight ahead, your muscles get a chance to relax, preventing uneven pressure. "It's not great, but it's better than not being supported," said Langenhorst. Other strategies That will get blood circulating and it will get your neck in a different position. Or, even just stand. 'Humans are upright creatures, and our bodies aren't designed to look down for long periods of time, which puts extra pressure on the cervical spine,' Dr. Kavita Trivedi, an associate professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center, said.


The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
The surprising health benefits of fecal transplants
Fecal microbiota transplants, used to restore gut health, involve transferring stool from a healthy donor to a recipient. A new University of Chicago study in mice reveals potential long-lasting, unintended health consequences from these transplants due to microorganisms colonizing the entire intestinal tract, creating regional gut mismatches. The study found that transplanted microbes altered intestinal environments, affecting metabolism, behavior, energy balance, and liver function in mice. Researchers advocate for caution and suggest using microorganisms from all regions of the intestine, not just the colon, for transplants. Dr. Eugene Chang, the study's senior author, notes that fecal microbiota transplants can cause changes in host-microbe relationships in different bowel regions that may be difficult to reverse.