New Utah study affirms COVID vaccine is safe for kids The study, co-authored by a doctor at Primary Children's Hospital, looked at 185 kids who suffered from MIS-C. Erin Alberty Axios

A new Utah-led study shows the COVID-19 vaccine didn't trigger dangerous responses in children who previously had a severe reaction to the virus itself.

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Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 accounts for 43% of U.S. COVID cases - CDC The fast-spreading Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 is estimated to account for 43% of the COVID-19 cases in the United States for the week ended Jan. 14, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed on Friday. Reuters Reuters

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'This is the last thing we need:' Millions of businesses hammered by the pandemic need to start paying back Covid loans | CNN Business At Teddy & The Bully Bar restaurant near downtown Washington, DC, business has never been the same since the pandemic hit. Gabe Cohen CNN

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Study shows convalescent plasma works for immune-compromised Covid-19 patients, but it can be hard to find | CNN Convalescent plasma -- a once-celebrated treatment for Covid-19 that has largely fallen out of favor -- does work well for people who are immune-compromised, according to a study published Thursday. Elizabeth Cohen CNN

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Paying people to take COVID vaccine worked well, study finds Paying people to take a first COVID-19 vaccine dose didn't lower the likelihood of seeking the second or third dose or of other positive health behaviors. CIDRAP

A study finds that paying people to take a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine didn't lower the likelihood of seeking the second or third dose or of other positive health behaviors and didn't erode morals, sense of civic duty, or feelings of self-determination.

U.S. childhood vaccinations dip again in 2021-'22 school year -study Vaccination rates among kindergarten children against potentially deadly diseases such as polio, measles and diphtheria fell in the 2021-2022 school year, extending the previous year's slide from pre-pandemic levels, a U.S. government study showed on Thursday. Reuters Reuters

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EU court: Tourists may get refunds over COVID measures BERLIN (AP) — Travelers whose package tours were ruined by the imposition of restrictions to combat the COVID-19 pandemic may be entitled to at least a partial refund, the European Union's highest court said Thursday. AP NEWS

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Why it’s easier to catch a cold, the flu or COVID in the winter Low humidity protects viruses and cold temperatures may blunt some immune responses, making viral infections like colds, flu and COVID-19 more likely. Tina Hesman Saey Science News

...researchers have found that viruses that surge in the winter, including influenza viruses and SARS-CoV-2 — the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 — survive best when the relative humidity in the air falls below about 40 percent.

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How Long Are You Protected After A COVID Infection Now? COVID cases are rising as the new XBB subvariant spreads. Are you at risk for reinfection if you recently had the virus? YahooNews

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Exactly how long protection lasts after a COVID infection isn’t one-size-fits-all. A few factors make it impossible to say exactly how long you’re protected from reinfection.

WHO weighs in on Omicron XBB.1.5 subvariant; US extends COVID health emergency CIDRAP

The World Health Organization (WHO) advisory group on virus evolution said the Omicron XBB.1.5 subvariant is poised to drive an increase in COVID-19 cases, but it cautioned that confidence in its assessment is low, because most of the information is based on data from just one country—the United States.

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Mpox has faded in the US. Who deserves the credit? NEW YORK (AP) — Less than six months ago, mpox was an exploding health crisis. What had been an obscure disease from Africa was ripping through European and U.S. gay communities. Precious doses of an unproven vaccine were in short supply. AP NEWS

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So who deserves the credit? It’s an unsettled question, but experts cite a combination of factors.