A key government study about alcohol and its health harms won’t be released publicly, STAT’s Isabella Cueto reports.
A draft of the report found even moderate drinking (one or two drinks per day, depending on a person’s gender) could increase the risk of injuries, liver disease, and cancer. The final report stuck to those findings, its authors say. Shelving the document will be “to the detriment of the people’s health,” according to a person who worked on the project.
The killed report suggests that alcohol use isn’t high on the MAHA priority list, despite robust evidence that heavy drinking is a major driver of disease and death in the U.S. An HHS spokesperson declined to answer questions about whether the final report would be released or used to develop the new round of dietary guidelines. Read more here.
Another study showing trans identity persists
A new study confirmed what the trans community has long known: when people transition, they rarely detransition.
A JAMA study found that among 2,467 adults who legally changed their gender in Sweden, only 21 people sought to reverse the change. That’s less than 1%, according to my computer’s calculator. The study gathered this data from 7,293 people who received a gender dysphoria diagnosis between 2013 and 2023.
Some people have suggested that as gender dysphoria diagnoses increase, detransition rates would increase, too. This study throws cold water on this hypothesis, suggesting that detransitions are glancingly rare. Read the study here.
from AXIOS:
| COVID vaccine guide |
| By Herb Scribner and April Rubin |
 |
Obtaining a COVID-19 vaccine shot may require some extra lifting this fall.
The big picture: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced new limits on who is eligible for COVID vaccines last week as the FDA issued approvals for updated boosters that may have caused some head-scratching.
The intrigue: Kennedy announced changes that included rescinding the emergency use authorizations for COVID vaccines.
- But there’s still some speculation about whether he can abruptly end the emergency as he did, or if he would need a different declaration.
Here’s a quick guide on the new recommendations:
The FDA rescinded general emergency use authorizations for Pfizer and Moderna mRNA shots, per Kennedy.
- Boosters for high-risk patients were approved, though.
Yes, but: Pharmacists no longer have the power to dispense vaccines.
- Instead, patients will need to consult their doctor first.
Not much changes for people 65 years and older.
- The FDA approved a new Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine for those who are 65+. New shots from Moderna and Novavax are approved for all seniors, too.
Zoom out: Anyone ages 5-64 years old is eligible for the updated Pfizer COVID booster if they have at least one underlying health condition.
- This age group can get the Moderna booster.
- The same goes for those who want the Novavax vaccine, but only for those 12 years and up.
CVS will administer COVID vaccines in 34 states, a spokesperson told Axios in a recent statement.
- The vaccine wouldn’t be available at pharmacies in 16 states. And in 13 states and Washington, D.C., including Arizona, it would be available to people, depending on age, who obtained a prescription from a doctor or medical provider.
Read more
