FDA approves Moderna's new COVID-19 vaccine
The company's "next-generation" COVID-19 vaccine, mNexspike, was approved for adults 65 and older and younger people at risk of severe disease.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/c…— CIDRAP (@cidrap.bsky.social) June 2, 2025 at 4:26 PM
#FDA has approved #Moderna's next-generation #Covid shot, with the same use restrictions it imposed on Novavax's vaccine earlier this month.
www.statnews.com/2025/05/31/m…— Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 (@helenbranswell.bsky.social) May 31, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Exclusive: Pediatric infectious disease expert Dr. Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos of the US CDC resigned as co-leader of a working group that advises outside experts on COVID vaccines and is leaving the agency, two sources familiar with the move told Reuters reut.rs/4ksJLZt
— Reuters (@reuters.com) June 3, 2025 at 5:29 PM
US Weekly COVID update: June 2, 2025
🔸1 in 211 People Currently Infected
🔸227,000 New Daily Infections
🔸1,589,000 New Weekly Infections
🔸79,000 to 318,000 Weekly Long COVID Cases
🔸600 to 900 Weekly Excess Deaths
Source: pmc19.com/data/— Denis – The COVID Info Guy (@thecovidinfoguy.bsky.social) June 3, 2025 at 2:42 AM
According to this chart we are currently experiencing the lowest rate of COVID deaths since March 14, 2020.
covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-t…— Michael Hobbes (@michaelhobbes.bsky.social) June 2, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Exactly. The fact that a lot of Americans have grown complacent over Covid boosters (or seasonal flu shots) is hardly a reason for banning access to them.
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec.bsky.social) June 1, 2025 at 11:24 AM
A new variant of COVID-19 is circulating in parts of the world and may be driving an increase in cases in the eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and western Pacific regions.
— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) May 29, 2025 at 3:30 AM
In the most recent COVID wave, white people had more than twice the death rate of black people
covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-t…— Michael Hobbes (@michaelhobbes.bsky.social) May 30, 2025 at 5:08 PM
A new, highly transmissible COVID subvariant has been detected in California — heightening the risk of a summer wave as recent moves by the Trump administration threaten to make vaccines harder to get, and more expensive, for many Americans.
www.latimes.com/california/s…— Ian Weissman, DO (@drianweissman.bsky.social) May 30, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Australia:
“It’s taking off pretty quickly,” said Professor Catherine Bennett, warning that “if you’re exposed, you’re more likely to catch it.”
She added, “We might be in for a bigger winter wave,” and COVID deaths were 5x higher than flu—"So COVID-19 is still to be taken seriously"— Denis – The COVID Info Guy (@thecovidinfoguy.bsky.social) June 2, 2025 at 2:57 AM
Local observations are sometimes random noise. But sometimes they're early indicators of trends that take time to show up in regional/national data (collecting & reporting data takes time, even if you care about that sort of stuff, which may not be true nationally).
Why I always mask seeing pts 🤷♂️— Dimitri Drekonja, MD, MS (@dimitridrekonja.bsky.social) June 2, 2025 at 5:47 PM
ICYMI: I wrote about ongoing Republican attacks on COVID vaccines, which make use of years of state propaganda claiming COVID is mild, COVID is over, Long COVID isn't real, and that healthy people have nothing to fear from COVID.
www.thegauntlet.news/p/republican…
— Julia Doubleday (@juliadoubleday.bsky.social) June 2, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Long-COVID diagnoses fairly common in Medicare claims
Beneficiaries with four or more COVID-19 vaccine doses had a 39% lower adjusted rate of long COVID.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/c…— CIDRAP (@cidrap.bsky.social) June 3, 2025 at 3:27 PM
I know we all like to forget COVID, but imo it’s bonkers that politicians talk so much about increasing defence spending, yet we’ve apparently forgotten to spend any time or money guarding against a future pandemic
— Sam Bright (@writesbright.bsky.social) June 2, 2025 at 4:58 AM
===
This very bad thing happened that killed a lot of people a few years ago yet stopping it from happening again isn’t remotely part of the public / political conversation. Barmy.
— Sam Bright (@writesbright.bsky.social) June 2, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Long COVID is now the most prevalent chronic disease in American kids, surpassing ASTHMA. Children/ teens are NOT immune to damage from covid.
"Long COVID is common, affecting up to 10% to 20% of children with a history of COVID-19."
That means ANY covid infection.
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam…— EvolutionaryEve (@evolutionaryeve.bsky.social) June 2, 2025 at 11:30 PM
The parents of kids in the original pediatric Covid vaccine trials care more about scientific integrity than the people leading our scientific agencies.
Unbelievable. And maddening.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025…— Alt CDC (they/them) (@altcdc.altgov.info) June 2, 2025 at 10:19 PM
=====
RKF Jr. May Have Just Ruined Our Best Weapon Against Bird Flu www.thebulwark.com/p/rkf-jr-ken… from @citizencohn.bsky.social
— Catherine Rampell (@crampell.bsky.social) June 1, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Study finds live avian flu virus in raw milk for more than 1 day at room temperature, 1 week in fridge
The preprint findings highlight the risk of contracting #H5N1 avian flu from raw milk or occupational exposure in dairies.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/a…
Photo: xymox / Flickr cc— CIDRAP (@cidrap.bsky.social) June 2, 2025 at 12:15 PM
=====
Dataset shows national decline in MMR vaccine uptake since peak of COVID
Of the 2,066 counties, 1,614 (78%) showed a decline in MMR coverage.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/m…
— CIDRAP (@cidrap.bsky.social) June 3, 2025 at 4:06 PM
US CDC updated its measles travel advisory:
'International travellers should be fully vaccinated with measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine.' @cidrap.bsky.social
Highly infectious, it can remain in the air for up to 2 hours after an infected person leaves the area.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/measles/us-m…— @DrJoePajak CSci CChem FRSC (@drjoepajak.bsky.social) May 31, 2025 at 7:32 AM
On The Road – Winter Wren – Dry Tortugas Day Trip Part 2: Birds big and small
Baud
Lucky duckies.
stinger
@Baud:
I think you meant that for the OTR thread, no? :-)
Suzanne
@Baud: As I noted to my doctor last week…. I’m prolly gonna lie so I can get it. She endorsed that strategy and said she will likely do the same.
lowtechcyclist
@stinger:
Nah, he’s just making wise quacks.
Baud
@Suzanne:
Are you going to pretend to be 65 or 5?
lowtechcyclist
@Baud:
From what I could see in the Ohio meetup pix, either one would be a considerable stretch.
Juju
@Baud: if you’ve had pneumonia at some point in your life you qualify because with every virus you get you have a good chance of getting pneumonia again. That works as a way to get the vaccination at a younger age, even if you’ve had pneumonia vaccines.
Baud
@Juju:
I’ve never had pneumonia. I have cleaned with ammonia, however. That should be close enough.
Juju
@Baud: whatever works.
lowtechcyclist
@Baud: Potato, potahto. ;-)
New Deal democrat
First, the continued good news. The latest final death count for COVID, for the week of May 3, was the lowest ever, at 267. So was the preliminary count for the week of May 24, at 82. That week is likely to be the first ever with a final number under 200. And the 52 week total of COVID deaths also declined to another all time low, at 35,700.
Both Biobot and the CDC show COVID in wastewater declining in wastewater to closest to the lowest levels ever. The CDC number is 1.48 per mL, vs. the 1.13 record low, 5.58 at last winter’s peak, and 8.89 at last summer’s peak.
The new variant discussed in the body of the post is called NB.1.8.1.
Here are comments from my favorite reliable source, J. P. Weiland:
https://bsky.app/profile/jpweiland.bsky.social
“We’re now effectively tied with the 2023 and 2024 minimums. Spring “baseline” has ~stayed the same. Expected to start upwards in June from NB.1.8.1, XFG, and summer seasonal forcing.
“Much of Europe will probably see a summer wave starting soon, with both XFG and NB.1.8.1
growing at similar rates.
“While a lot of focus has been put on NB.1.8.1 (at ~10%), XFG has increased to >50% in NY in the last week and appears to already be leading to increased transmission. XFG may also be faster than NB.1.8.1.”
We have seen an increase in COVID wastewater particles in the West in the past month. Per the Sacramento Bee, “‘Initial detections of NB.1.8.1 in California began in mid-March and are ongoing,’ the state health department said.”
https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/health-and-medicine/article307455641.html
Now the not so good news. The latest report last Friday from the CDC shows that measles is continuing to spread at the rate of about 40 new cases per week. “As of May 29, 2025, a total of 1,088 confirmed* measles cases were reported by 33 jurisdictions,” per the report. Again, 96% of all cases are unvaccinated. 12% of all cases result in hospitalizations. 1/3rd of all cases have been in adults. The outbreak remains centered in west Texas, with 738 cases.
A new concern is infected people spreading measles on airplane flights: “ the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) said yesterday that it and partners in Arapahoe County have now confirmed three measles cases in people who were on the same Turkish Airlines flight that arrived in Denver on May 13. The latest patient is a vaccinated Arapahoe County adult, and the two earlier announced cases involved an out-of-state traveler who was infectious on the flight and an Arapahoe County child who was likely exposed on the flight.”
Of all the T—-p appointments, RFK Jr is the one most likely to kill you, as the rhetoric about “choice” is replaced with denying vaccine availability categorically.
satby
@New Deal democrat: And if the Democrats take Congress, he should be the first impeached. Because I think it would be successful.
Suzanne
@Baud: You can just say that you have a chronic condition. They’re not going to verify.
MazeDancer
Imagine there will be some thought to revising the obesity standards.
Because obesity is a condition that qualifies you for the vaccine. And an easy 50% of the population is obese. Throw in diabetes, any auto-immune condition, and having had pneumonia, and you’re covering a lot of people.
If they would bother to protect themselves from death or long covid.
Also wondering if the new Moderna is actually going to be available. It uses a lower dose. Which might mean less reaction.
FDRLincoln
Finally, something good about being obese: I can get a covid booster!
lee
I want to make sure I understand two bit of data:
“600 to 900 Weekly Excess Deaths”
“The latest final death count for COVID, for the week of May 3, was the lowest ever, at 267.”
Is the 600-900 only excess deaths and not attributable to Covid (at least directly)?
My 59 yr old wife got her Covid booster last week and they didn’t even question her a bit about getting it.
lee
On the ‘good news’ front: Texas sees an dramatic increase in measles vaccinations
Matt McIrvin
@FDRLincoln: huh, you know, I can probably use that as leverage, ’cause I think I’m over the line now.
New Deal democrat
@lee: Thanks for the info. I was aware that was happening, but the article gives a good idea of the scale. To wit:
”From January through April, 7,107 children between the ages of 6 months and 11 months were vaccinated for measles …..
“For the same period in 2019, only 1,591 children between 6 months old and 11 months old were vaccinated for measles.”
Unfortunately, that is a trickle. For herd immunity, we need 10x or even 100x that number in Texas.
On you other issue, “excess deaths” is from all causes. Covid may play a role, but there are other potential causes as well. Or it may be that long COVID was involved, but the actual death occurred from something else. The number I gave is explicitly deaths attributed to COVID for the week, employing a consistent methodology for the past 5 years.
Hope that is helpful.
Chris T.
RFKJr in Congress: “… and that’s why these vaccines are now banned—”
Aide: “Uh, sorry to interrupt, but we just got news, the new variant is 25% fatal and only kills white people.”
RFKJr: “Ahem. As I was saying, are now bandwagon drugs, free and strongly recommended…”
CaseyL
Got my MMR and Tdap boosters a few months ago, and my latest Covid shot two-ish weeks ago.
Tried to get TB and polio jabs, but those are very special order and only available for people who are traveling to developing countries, so no luck.
Hell, I’d get the smallpox vaccine if I could! RFKJr is absolutely intent on “cleansing” the population of anyone not part of the Ubermenchen. Any old disease suddenly re-appearing, like smallpox, will do very nicely.
arrieve
Anecdata: I’m in California (the Bay Area) at the moment to see friends. And I won’t be able to see one of my dearest friends and her family because they all have Covid. I was, as usual, the only person wearing a mask on my flight out here, but now I’m going to be careful to mask in all indoor spaces. (I usually do but do forget sometimes.)
Matt McIrvin
@MazeDancer: Of course, the “wellness” attitude is more that obesity should disqualify you, because clearly that’s your real problem and you don’t need a vaccine, you just need to lose some weight, fatty!
The antivaxxer FOAF I argued with the most on Facebook during this period was absolutely chin deep in this mindset. He was like, why should I even listen to these people who won’t do my exercise routine or my keto diet? Why are all these fatties telling me to get vaccinated when they won’t do simple things to take care of themselves? And even then I wasn’t nearly active enough to have an answer that would satisfy him.
He really seemed to think of vaccination as a lazy health fix for people who weren’t into diet and exercise like he was. Like it was an either/or.
Matt McIrvin
(And what complicates it still more is that while physical fitness does seem to lead to better outcomes if you get infected with COVID, there’s some evidence that trying to exercise *while infected* is a trigger for long COVID. Too many people tried to power through it and got very ill.)
VFX Lurker
My obesity (BMI 31) didn’t convince CVS to defy CDC guidelines for a second dose of the updated COVID vaccine one or two years ago. I think you need a BMI of >40.
Hoping my doctor can get me an override this fall.
VFX Lurker
Yikes. That guy sounds like a complete ninny who flunked basic science in school.
Bill Arnold
@Matt McIrvin:
Smallpox was extremely deadly to native American (North&South&Central) (immunologically naive) populations when introduced by Europeans.
Extremely varied cultures, diets, etc, and generally reasonably physically fit. Didn’t matter. Inoculation did matter, a lot, eventually.
Chetan Murthy
This is Calvinism, innit? “If you’re one of The Elect, The Plague will not strike you down: God will protect His Own”, etc. And we fatties, we’re Fallen, not Beloved Of God, so what we get, we deserve.
Chetan Murthy
Anne, thank you for this roundup! I look for it every week, and read it thru completely.
This news today about children and Long Covid was chilling. Just chilling. I know I should be more concerned about everybody, and for sure about old people (since I’m one of them) but to find out that -children- are suffering is really disturbing.
Again, thank you for all you have done these past over five years.
Chetan Murthy
Bravo! Thank you for doing that! And know that you’re not alone! I mask everywhere in foreign indoor spaces, unless I get a measurable gain from being unmasked. So in a resto or bar, I’d be unmasked. But in public transit? Masked.
Jay
Thank you, Anne Laurie, for all you have done, and are still doing, through all these years. You have saved many, many lives.