What happens to COVID vaccines and drugs authorized for emergency use when health emergency ends? A pandemic allows the Food and Drug Administration to authorize vaccines and drugs for emergency use, even after the health emergency ends. YahooNews

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Opinion: The COVID 'emergency' is ending. Here's who will be hurt most Dropping protections such as free tests and Medicaid continuous coverage will leave many uninsured and undocumented people without access to care for COVID-19. Los Angeles Times

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U.S. proposes Medicare, Medicaid programs to cut drug costs, including $2 generics The U.S. health department proposed on Tuesday three new pilot projects aimed at lowering prescription drug prices for people enrolled in government health insurance plans, including offering some essential generic drugs for $2 a month. Ahmed Aboulenein Reuters

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Five Priorities For Global Pandemic Preparedness - Health Policy Watch On 27 February, World Health Organization member states will meet to commence formal negotiations on a global pandemic preparedness agreement – unofficially Health Policy Watch

On 27 February, World Health Organization member states will meet to commence formal negotiations on a global pandemic preparedness agreement – unofficially turning the page from responding to COVID-19 to readying ourselves for future health emergencies.

Moderna says its COVID vaccine will remain free for all consumers, even those uninsured Moderna has announced it will provide its COVID vaccine for free to people without insurance, even after government money dries up. ABC News ABC News

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"Everyone in the United States will have access to Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine regardless of their ability to pay," the company said in a statement.

A rare Marburg outbreak sparks a race against time to test vaccines and drugs Finding out if Marburg vaccine candidates actually work in people requires an outbreak, and outbreaks are blessedly rare. But now there are cases in Equatorial Guinea. Helen Branswell STAT

A Marburg fever outbreak in Equatorial Guinea is galvanizing efforts to test drugs and vaccines for a virus that currently has none. But every day counts, warned experts who gathered virtually on Tuesday to try to chart a course for the work.

Bird flu spreads to new countries, threatens non-stop "war" on poultry Avian flu has reached new corners of the globe and become endemic for the first time in some wild birds that transmit the virus to poultry, according to veterinarians and disease experts, who warn it is now a year-round problem. Tom Polansek Reuters

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Three years into the pandemic, nursing home residents are still in Covid’s crosshairs (msn.com)

Federal health agencies worked to get more nursing home residents and staff to take the latest Covid booster all winter, creating social media hashtags, putting money into vaccine hotlines and flagging the worst performing facilities to states.

But their decision to scale back on two vaccine interventions that were critical in getting residents and staff protected from Covid during the first vaccine rollout in late 2020 and 2021 has left the job mostly to facilities, resident advocates say, with disappointing results.

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WHO abandons plans for crucial second phase of COVID-origins investigation Nature - Sensitive studies in China were intended to pinpoint the source of the pandemic virus. Mallapaty, Smriti nature

The World Health Organization (WHO) has quietly shelved the second phase of its much-anticipated scientific investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, citing ongoing challenges over attempts to conduct crucial studies in China, Nature has learned. ...