Hello from the Common Health Coalition! The 2-4-2 Digest is a weekly snapshot for health leaders - 4 key insights in 2 minutes or with 2 swipes on your phone. 

Weekly Health Insights

FDA COVID vaccine approval: The FDA has approved a Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6mo through 11 years old at high risk for severe COVID-19. This approval accompanies the May FDA approval for a Moderna vaccine for adults 65+ and those aged 12-64 with high risk conditions. FDA has not yet issued approvals for a 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine, nor has ACIP made eligibility recommendations for the upcoming season.

US Preventive Services Task Force: The HHS Secretary postponed a scheduled meeting of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) following a recent Supreme Court ruling affirming the Secretary’s authority to remove task force members and review or block their recommendations. 

Texas Floods: As floodwaters recede in Central Texas, health professionals warn that public health risks remain, from waterborne bacteria and mosquito-borne illness to injuries from debris. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that disaster victims may qualify for special enrollment in health insurance coverage and providers may access emergency waivers and flexibilities, retroactive to July 2.

Bird Flu: Last week, the CDC ended its bird flu (H5N1) public health emergency, citing a continued decline in detections among dairy cattle and no new human cases reported since February. 

Colleague Corner

A recent JAMA study found that universal Hep C screening of adults in the emergency department detects more cases than only testing people based on risk, but few of those diagnosed actually receive treatment. The authors urge the development of improved care models to close this treatment gap.

"The substantial decrease in patients who went from diagnosis to SVR12 [Sustained Virologic Response] highlights an urgent need for innovative models of HCV treatment."

 – Preeti N. Malani, MD, MS and Stephen M. Schenkel, MD, MPP

Data Watch

The 2024-2025 respiratory virus season demonstrated significantly higher influenza mortality rates among children compared to previous seasons, highlighting the importance of access to vaccines and therapeutics.

Measles reports: Most recently in the U.S. there have been 1,303 confirmed measles cases. To continue following Measles updates, visit our Resources page for the latest Measles Briefs from Yale School of Public Health (under Situational Awareness Briefs). Read the latest deep-dive here.  

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