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For the first since the Biden administration, independent vaccine advisers will meet Thursday to recommend which strains of influenza virus to include in flu vaccines this fall. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) canceled last year’s meeting of the Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC). Instead, the FDA chose influenza strains after a closed-door meeting with federal officials, with no participation from patient advocates, medical groups, manufacturers, or scientists with expertise in vaccines. (Szabo, 3/11)

�������ýҕ�l Health News: Republicans Fret Over RFK Jr.'s Anti-Vaccine Policies While MAHA Moms Stew

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is fielding pressure from the White House to relax his controversial approach to vaccine policies as the midterms near, but his most steadfast supporters are pressing for more aggressive action — like restricting covid-19 vaccines and pesticide use — to carry out the Make America Healthy Again agenda. The tensions risk fraying Kennedy’s dynamic MAHA coalition, potentially driving away critical supporters who helped fuel President Donald Trump’s 2024 election win. (Seitz and Armour, 3/12)

Even in the state with among the highest childhood vaccine uptake in the country, a pair of bills aiming to expand Connecticut’s authority over immunizations drew a swell of opposition at the state Capitol. (Golvala, 3/11)

Both Arizona and South Carolina, two states that recorded hundreds of measles cases in recent months, are reporting significant slowdowns in new cases reported this week. Utah, however, has now tracked more than 400 cases in an outbreak that began last year in the southwest corner of the state and has now spread to Salt Lake City and other areas. (Soucheray, 3/11)

Multinational agriculture technology company Syngenta announced last Tuesday (March 3) that it will cease global production of the herbicide paraquat by the end of June, including at its facility in Iberville Parish. Banned in more than 70 countries, paraquat is repackaged and distributed in the United States from Syngenta’s manufacturing site in St. Gabriel, a small city that sits along a heavily-industrialized stretch of the Mississippi River. Nicknamed “Cancer Alley” residents in St. Gabriel face a higher risk of cancer from industrial air pollution than most of the country. (Yehiya, 3/11)

The colorful packaging and fruity flavors that make nicotine pouches appealing to adults also make them tempting — and dangerous — for kids. (Liang, 3/10)

�������ýҕ�l Health News: As Lung Disease Threatens Workers, Lawmakers Seek Protections For Countertop Manufacturers

César Manuel González, 37, used to work with stone that was engineered to endure: dense, polished slabs designed to outlast the kitchens in which they were installed. Engineered quartz countertops have surged in popularity in the home renovation market, with industry analysts estimating the global engineered stone market at around $30 billion. It’s continuing to expand as quartz surfaces replace natural stone in kitchens in the United States and worldwide. When González was working, the dust that rose from his saw didn’t look extraordinary. (Gounder, 3/12)

The World Health Organization (WHO) is warning that the war in Iran is worsening public health conditions across the Middle East region. After 10 days of bombings and conflict in Iran, national health authorities in Iran report more than 1,300 deaths and 9,000 injuries, and Lebanon reports at least 570 deaths and more than 1,400 injuries. In Israel, authorities have documented 15 deaths and 2,142 injuries. The WHO said eight health care workers have died in Iran. (Soucheray, 3/11)