Coronavirus Vaccination Disparities Widen, FDA Warns Against Baby Formula
A CDC report has found that rural-urban vaccination disparities have widened in the past few months, and the FDA is warning against Similac baby formula after a second baby died last week.
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By - In a promising move for consumers, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted an application for Abrilada, a biosimilar that will compete with Humira. Elsewhere within the administration, regulators are investigating a possible baby formula contamination that may have caused the death of two infants.
Meanwhile, during his first State of the Union address, President Biden announced his intention to improve virtual care and mental health service access.
And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) evaluated its nationwide vaccination data and found that the rural-urban vaccination divide has doubled.
Biden Administration Promotes Virtual Care for Mental Health
The President set goals for expanding virtual care and mental health services during his first State of the Union address. The administration hopes to enhance coverage by increasing the pool of providers offering behavioral health, improving payment parity between mental health and other forms of care, and growing access to telehealth services across the country.
The White House is also working to remove state boundaries to telehealth that are responsible for some communities receiving less care than others. In the coming months, Congress will have the opportunity to vote on several bills supporting these measures. READ MORE.
FDA Accepts Application for Humira Biosimilar
A Pfizer-made biosimilar drug, Abrilada, was shown to be as effective as Humira in clinical trials. The drug, which received FDA approval for some uses in 2019, will soon be offered as an alternative to the largely successful Humira.
Biosimilars currently account for around $250 million in savings each year and could account for $7 billion shortly as more are released onto the market and mainstay drugs are forced to lower their prices to compete with safe alternatives. READ MORE.
FDA Warns Against Another Baby Formula After Infant Death
Early last week, the FDA expanded an advisory on a powdered baby formula to include another lot of Similac PM 60/40. Abbot Nutrition recalled the formula on Monday after a baby who tested positive for Cronobacter sakazakii died. Abbot has responded on its website, claiming that the death is still under investigation and reaffirming the quality assurance measures for its baby formulas. READ MORE.
Florida Department of Health Recommends Against Child Vaccines
The Florida Department of Health contradicted experts from the CDC Monday when it recommended against vaccinating children aged 5-11 who are otherwise healthy. The state surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, did not provide justification for the decision. This move comes as a part of the Florida Governor’s broader campaign that has railed against federal COVID-19 knowledge. READ MORE.
New Data Shows Rural-Urban Vaccine Divide Has Widened
The CDCs COVID-19 Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report illustrated a deepening vaccine divide between rural and urban communities. “These urban-rural disparities among those now eligible for vaccination (aged ≥5 years) have increased more than twofold through January 2022, despite increased availability and access to COVID-19 vaccines,” the agency included in its report. “Addressing barriers to vaccination in rural areas is critical to achieving vaccine equity, reducing disparities, and decreasing COVID-19–related illness and death in the United States.” The latest data included in the report found that 75 percent of urban residents had been vaccinated, and only 59 percent of rural residents had been vaccinated. READ MORE.
