• Illinois: According to a new study published in JAMA, the COVID-19 antiviral Paxlovid may not be as effective as previously believed, particularly in older vaccinated adults. For the study, researchers analyzed data from Canada on patients who had received Paxlovid and those who had not. In 2022, a Canadian health policy allowed Paxlovid to be prescribed only to symptomatic patients ages 70 or older unless they were immunocompromised or had other risk factors. Among the nearly 1.5 million people included in the study, the researchers found no significant differences in COVID-19 hospitalization or death rates between those who received Paxlovid and those who did not. "We are not saying that Paxlovid is useless," said John Mafi, an associate professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles' David Geffen School of Medicine and the study's lead author. "What this research is saying is that its effectiveness in older groups who are most vulnerable to COVID-19, but who are vaccinated, is far lower than what the earlier evidence from unvaccinated groups showed." Currently, the researchers are planning to study individual-level data and conduct a more in-depth analysis of other factors that could affect the drug's effectiveness. (Park, TIME, 2/21; UCLA Health press release, 2/20)
• Maryland: FDA has approved a new drug to treat a genetic disorder that causes the growth of noncancerous tumors on nerves throughout the body. The drug, which is called Gomekli and is developed by SpringWorks Therapeutics, was approved for patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) "who have symptomatic plexiform neurofibromas (PN) not amenable to complete resection." In a trial of 114 patients, SpringWorks found that Gomekli led to an at least 20% reduction in PN volume in over 50% of pediatric patients and 41% of adult patients. "The NF1-PN patient community has a great need for more treatment options. With today's approval, we are honored to serve both adults and children with NF1-PN and provide them with a therapy that has the potential to shrink their tumors and offer meaningful symptomatic relief," said SpringWorks CEO Saqib Islam. "We are grateful to each clinical trial participant, their families, the investigators, and the patient advocacy groups involved in the journey towards making GOMEKLI available in the U.S." (Timotija, The Hill, 2/11)
• Texas: As of Friday, the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) has reported 146 confirmed cases of measles, largely in counties in West Texas. Of the cases, most were among infants, school age children, or teenagers. Almost all the patients were either unvaccinated or had not received their second measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine. So far, there have been at least 20 hospitalizations and one death. According to the Associated Press/MedPage Today, the death, which TDSHS said was a "school-aged child who was not vaccinated," is the first death from measles in the U.S. since 2015. According to health authorities, the outbreak is moving quickly and is likely to continue growing. There is also concern that nine additional measles cases detected in nearby New Mexico may be linked to the outbreak in Texas. Currently, local health departments are operating mobile healthcare units to provide measles testing and vaccines. CDC is also providing "technical assistance, laboratory support, and vaccines as needed" in the outbreak area. "This is the tip of the iceberg," said Rekha Lakshmanan, chief strategy officer for The Immunization Partnership. "I think this is going to get a lot worse before it gets better." (Edwards, NBC News, 2/25; Shastri/Seitz, Associated Press, 2/26; Maxmen, KFF Health News, 2/21; Associated Press/MedPage Today, 2/26; Edwards, NBC News, 2/28)

Writing for The Atlantic, Sarah Zhang analyzes how past and present vaccination campaigns in the United States have attempted to boost child vaccination rates — and why vaccine uptake among children has never been "immediately universal."