Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine wins backing of CDC advisory panel An expert panel that advises the CDC on vaccine policy voted Tuesday to recommend use of Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine. Helen Branswell STAT

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Weekly tests dropped for unvaccinated state employees Minnesota state government employees who are unvaccinated for COVID-19 are no longer required to take weekly tests for the virus in order to stay in the workplace. The requirement that went into effect in September 2021 meant thousands of employees took tests each week. AP NEWS

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Monkeypox is on the rise in the LGBTQ community. Here's what to know Monkeypox isn't considered a sexually transmitted disease, but most people who have gotten it in the US in the latest outbreak report some level of sexual activity, an official from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told CNN on Monday. Jen Christensen and John Bonifield, CNN CNN

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What is the Marburg virus and how can it be avoided? Two people in Ghana have died from the infectious Marburg virus, raising fears of a mass outbreak.. BBC News

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Nasal vaccines may stop Covid infections. Will we get them soon? Research on nasal vaccines is mostly in its early phases in the U.S., though many scientists believe this twist on vaccination could prove to be an effective way to block infections. NBC News

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Omicron BA.5 makes up nearly 78% of COVID variants circulating in U.S. - CDC The BA.5 subvariant of Omicron was estimated to make up 77.9% of the circulating coronavirus variants in the United States for the week ended July 16, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Tuesday. Reuters Reuters

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Fauci's Retirement; Battle Over Monkeypox Messaging; Masks and Microbe Health news and commentary from around the Web gathered by <em>MedPage Today</em> staff Jennifer Henderson medpagetoday

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As of Monday, confirmed U.S. monkeypox/orthopoxvirus cases total 1,972, according to CDC's tracker, with more than one-fourth in New York state alone...

Gawande warns USAID COVID response quickly running out of money The USAID global coronavirus response will run out of money in the coming weeks without new funding from Congress, the agency’s Assistant Administrator for Global Health Atul Gawande warned on Tues… colinmeyn The Hill

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Gawande said funding for the task force ran out last month, and the agency has been lobbying lawmakers since December to re-up the financing at a minimum of $5 billion. So far, however, Congress has delivered none...

Monkeypox patients should not be left to suffer when an FDA-approved drug could help The federal government's development of tecovirimat should be lauded as forward thinking for investing in pandemic preparedness. But its failure to use it to control the monkeypox outbreak must change. Patrick Skerrett STAT

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