Scientists have warned that a “more contagious” variant of the Covid virus, dubbed XEC, is starting to spread more rapidly across Europe and could soon become the dominant strain.

“At this juncture, the XEC variant appears to be the most likely one to get legs next,” Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla, said in a post on X on Sunday....

US COVID activity remains elevated, though some markers decline Wastewater levels are still high, but some indicators such as hospitalizations trended downward. CIDRAP

...Other indicators, however, showed small declines, including test positivity, which was at 14.9% last week, down 1.6% from the previous week. Levels are highest in the central states, which include Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Emergency department visits declined last week but are still at the moderate level in a few southeastern states.

About half of Americans plan to skip COVID and flu shots. A doctor explains why that is "very concerning." It's critical to get COVID and flu vaccinations as we head into the fall and winter months, an infectious disease expert said. CBS News

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3 studies uncover flu, COVID vaccine reluctance, impact of mental illness on uptake Three new observational studies on influenza and COVID-19 vaccine uptake find that more than a third of US adults say they don't need any vaccines, 64% of French healthcare workers got the flu shot but not the COVID vaccine in 2022-2023, and psychiatric illness is tied to a significantly higher likelihood of receiving a flu vaccine but lower odds of getting a COVID vaccine. CIDRAP

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Thinking about fall vaccines? Doctors say there's no time like the present Your guide to what vaccines you should get and when to get them. PBS News

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Experts who spoke with PBS News say regular vaccination is one of the most important ways to protect yourself against respiratory diseases, including COVID, flu and RSV. Here’s what to know about the vaccinations they recommend adults and children prioritize getting this fall.

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Estimate: COVID vaccines saved up to 2.6 million lives in Latin America, Caribbean COVID-19 vaccines saved about 610,000 to 2.61 million lives in 17 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in the first 1.5 years of vaccine availability, estimate researchers from Yale University, Brazil, and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). CIDRAP

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Mpox And Cholera Outbreaks Underscore Importance Of Gavi’s African Vaccine Initiative - But Can It Ensure Equity? - Health Policy Watch Back in June, the vaccine platform, Gavi, launched the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA), together with the African Union and Africa Centres Health Policy Watch

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First on CNN: US faces maternity care crisis, with 1 in 3 counties lacking obstetric doctors to provide care, report warns | CNN The United States is facing an ongoing maternity health crisis in which 1 in every 3 counties does not have a single obstetric clinician, affecting women’s access to care, according to a new report. Jacqueline Howard CNN

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COVID map update: major shift in U.S. states with highest rates A new cluster of states across the country has seen a significant spike in the recorded COVID-19 cases. Newsweek

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For the week ending August 31, the CDC reported that 16.3 percent of all COVID-19 tests performed in the U.S.—excluding at-home test results—were coming back positive. This is a 0.4 percent decrease from the previous week, but the infection rates have not been evenly distributed across the country.

The below map illustrates the distribution of positive tests in the U.S., divided into 10 Health and Human Service regions.

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Corruption review finds 'red flags' in more than 130 Covid contracts An anti-corruption charity finds significant concerns in £15.3bn worth of contracts awarded during the pandemic. BBC News

An anti-corruption charity says it has identified significant concerns in contracts worth over £15.3bn awarded by the Conservative government during the Covid pandemic, equivalent to one in every £3 spent.

Transparency International UK found 135 “high-risk” contracts with at least three red flags - warning signs of a risk of corruption.

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