This week, the Biden-Harris Administration detailed the latest operational planning for COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5-11. In anticipation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) scheduled review on October 26 and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) scheduled review on November 2-3, the Biden-Harris Administration plans to quickly distribute vaccine…
Read More »Following last week’s unanimous recommendation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) relative to COVID-19 booster vaccines, both the FDA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week officially approved the use of booster doses for specified populations. On Wednesday, the FDA…
Read More »The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) this week sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting that his recent federal directive to protect school personnel be expanded to include health department officials and staff. Pointing to the increasing threats and violence being faced by many local health department personnel…
Read More »This week, the Biden-Harris Administration rolled out a plan to accelerate efforts to protect Americans from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which can cause severe health issues and persist in the environment once released. The efforts by the federal government are intended to safeguard public health and the environment by preventing PFAS from being released…
Read More »On Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it has authorized the marketing of four new oral tobacco products manufactured by U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, LLC under the brand name of Verve. The products were reviewed under the agency’s premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) process in which the agency must determine whether the…
Read More »The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week unveiled a proposed rule intended to improve access to and reduce the costs of hearing aid technology for Americans. The federal agency proposes to establish a new category of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids, allowing hearing aids in this category to be sold directly to consumers in…
Read More »This week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced it has reestablished the Advisory Committee to the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (ACD). The committee, authorized by federal law, is intended to advise the CDC Director, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and…
Read More »Late this week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) made recommendations related to COVID-19 vaccine booster doses for specified populations. On Thursday, the VRBPAC unanimously recommended Moderna half-dose booster vaccines for adults over 65 years of age and other adults considered at high risk at least…
Read More »On Thursday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced its Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee (AMDAC) will meet on November 30 to review a request for an emergency use authorization (EUA) for molnupiravir, an investigational antiviral drug to treat COVID-19. The drug, created by Merck and Ridgeback, is intended to treat mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults…
Read More »In the first authorization of its kind, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week announced it has authorized the marketing of three new electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) products through the FDA’s Premarket Tobacco Product Application (PMTA) pathway. The FDA granted marketing approvals to R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company for its Vuse Solo ENDS…
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