Health officials push to get schoolchildren vaccinated as more US parents opt out Parents are opting out of school vaccinations at the highest rate ever. Last school year, that amounted to 3% of U.S. children entering kindergarten. AP News

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Reviews uncover no consistent link between antiviral drugs like Paxlovid and COVID rebound Igor Vershinsky / iStock CIDRAP

Two systematic reviews by US federal agencies on the possible link between antiviral treatment for COVID-19 and viral rebound—one specifically on Paxlovid—find no consistent association. The studies were published yesteray in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

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How 2023 changed the way states do climate policy Democrats used their newfound state power — and historic climate funding — to create what one expert called a "banner year for clean energy policy." E&E News by POLITICO E&E News by POLITICO

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White House touts record-breaking ObamaCare enrollment The White House on Wednesday touted the record-breaking numbers of people signing up for health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges, with almost a month left in open enrollm… nweixel The Hill

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XBB.1.5, BA.2.86, JN.1: How to understand the Covid-19 alphabet soup | CNN The virus that causes Covid-19 has more letters to describe its many derivatives than a bowl of alphabet soup. Jen Christensen CNN

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A virus like this one has a lot of different names because it is changing constantly, and scientists need a common language to talk about a specific version that they’re seeing in a particular community or that they’re working with to develop treatments, vaccines and tests.

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These States Have the Highest Number of COVID, Flu and RSV Cases Right Now Is yours on the list? Emily Laurence AOL

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CDC director says U.S. isn't yet near peak Covid or flu levels for the season This winter's pattern is different from that of last year, when Covid, flu and RSV all peaked around the same time, Dr. Mandy Cohen told NBC News. NBC News

The U.S. is seeing a "sharp increase" in flu levels right now, particularly in the south, Cohen said Wednesday in an interview. Covid cases also appear to be climbing nationally, she said, while cases of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, seem to have reached their highest point this season.

Vaccines reduce the risk of long COVID in children Nature - A study shows that US children who received mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have some protection against developing long-lasting symptoms of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Hall, Shannon nature

Vaccinated children are less likely than unvaccinated children to develop long COVID, the myriad of symptoms that can last for months to years following a SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to a forthcoming US study¹.

Your 2023 Climate Wins, Wrapped | Atmos

Your 2023 Climate Wins, Wrapped | Atmos This year’s climate extremes may give the impression that the planet is screwed, but climate experts say we’ve made record progress in 2023. Atmos Atmos

States are trashing troves of masks and pandemic gear as huge, costly stockpiles linger and expire Some states that stockpiled millions of masks and other personal protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic are now throwing the items away. AP News

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With expiration dates passing and few requests to tap into the stockpile, Ohio auctioned off 393,000 gowns for just $2,451 and ended up throwing away another 7.2 million, along with expired masks, gloves and other materials. The now expiring supplies had cost about $29 million in federal money.