'Should Babies in Measles Outbreak Areas Get an Extra MMR Shot?'

 Support is building among pediatric infectious disease experts to recommend an extra dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine for infants ages 6 to 11 months who live in or travel to areas of the U.S. with measles outbreaks.

Earlier this month, former CDC director Rochelle Walensky, MD, and colleagues advocated in JAMAopens in a new tab or window and in STATopens in a new tab or window for expanding current vaccine recommendations to include this group.

While current guidelinesopens in a new tab or window from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) allow for an early MMR dose for infants in this age group who travel internationally, this would expand that recommendation domestically, they noted.

"With vaccination rates declining, cases rising, and healthcare providers encountering their first cases of a disease once eliminated, we believe it is time to re-evaluate national measles immunization guidelines, particularly to safeguard a vulnerable group still not fully accounted for in vaccination recommendations: our youngest infants," they wrote in the STAT op-ed.

Several experts contacted by MedPage Today agreed with their assertion.

"If infants are going to travel to Lubbock, Texas, or an area where they can be exposed, they definitely should get a dose of MMR vaccine at least 2 weeks before traveling and make sure that family members are up to date on their MMR vaccine also," Tina Tan, MD, a pediatric infectious disease physician at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and current president of the Infectious Disease Society of America, told MedPage Today.

Mary Caserta, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Infectious Diseases, said the COVID-19 pandemic "taught people that science and medicine changes with time as we gain more data and information."

"So, if we have data showing that there's an increased risk of measles in the United States, I'm definitely in favor of reviewing our immunization guidelines to see what we can do to best protect our children," Caserta told MedPage Today.

Indeed, the AAP's Red Book statesopens in a new tab or window that "during a community-wide outbreak that affects infants, MMR vaccine has been shown to be efficacious and may be recommended for infants 6 through 11 months of age."

ACIP currently recommends that kids get their first MMR shot at age 12 months, and the second dose between ages 4 and 6, usually before starting kindergarten.

In their op-ed, Walensky and colleagues explained that infants usually receive some protection from antibodies passed on from their mothers during pregnancy, but that this protection usually fades after 6 months. That leaves a "vulnerable gap between then and the first vaccine dose at 12 months," they wrote.

That gap hasn't been a major concern, as the U.S. had eliminated the disease and cases were rare -- until recent years as MMR vaccination levels have slipped while vaccine hesitancy has risen, they noted.

"With measles resurging, we cannot rely on guidelines designed for an era when the virus was eliminated from American communities," they wrote in the STAT piece. "Protecting infants demands policies that reflect today's reality: Measles outbreaks are happening here at home, placing the youngest and most vulnerable at risk."

Overall, there have been 483 measles cases in the U.S. thus far this year, according to the CDCopens in a new tab or window. As of March 28, Texasopens in a new tab or window has reported 400 measles cases in the state's South Plains and Panhandle regions since late January, while New Mexicoopens in a new tab or window has reported 44 cases. In Texas, 41 of the patients have been hospitalized and one deathopens in a new tab or window occurred in a school-aged child who was not vaccinated and had no known underlying conditions.

Tan said the "only way we are going to control these outbreaks is by vaccinating," but cautioned that the "growing issue of vaccine hesitancy, distrust in science, and spread of misinformation is one of the biggest challenges" to keeping children protected.

Advocating for MMR vaccination is a personal matter for Caserta. She contracted measles as a child, before the vaccine was available.

"I was about 5 or 6 years old," she recalled. "To this day, the things I remember most are the conjunctivitis, the cough, and the fever. My eyes were extremely painful. Thankfully, I recovered fully, but I was very ill."

https://www.medpagetoday.com/pediatrics/vaccines/114910

GLP-1 Spending Hit $5.8 Billion in 2022 for U.S. Adults Without Diabetes

 

• The prevalence of U.S. adults without diabetes who filled a GLP-1 receptor agonist prescription rose from 0.1% in 2018 to 0.4% in 2022.
• As a result, annual spending jumped from $1.6 billion to $5.8 billion.
• The average price was $1,540 per prescription, including $1,505 in third-party costs and $35 in out-of-pocket costs.

The number of U.S. adults without diabetes using GLP-1 receptor agonists more than tripled from 2018 to 2022, boosting annual spending from $1.6 billion to $5.8 billion, survey data showed.

Based on an unweighted sample of nearly 90,000 adults in the CDC's National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), the pooled annual prevalence of people who filled at least one prescription for a GLP-1 receptor agonist increased from 0.1% in 2018 to 0.4% in 2022, according to an Annals of Internal Medicineopens in a new tab or window brief research report.

This reflects an uptick from 259,160 to 854,728 adults nationwide, Michelle Dowsey, PhD, of the University of Melbourne in Australia, and colleagues reported.

Adults without diabetes spent an average of $1,540 per prescription, including $1,505 in third-party costs and $35 in out-of-pocket for every prescription fill. They filled an average of 4.1 prescriptions every year, totaling $6,420 in annual costs including $144 in out-of-pocket costs per user. Those on semaglutide had the highest out-of-pocket costs at $156 per year.

"Average prices for these medications consistently exceeded $1,500 per prescription, although average out-of-pocket costs were well contained, potentially due to people without private insurance being disproportionately less likely to access these medications," Dowsey's group noted. Private insurance covered nearly 86% of GLP-1 agent users in 2022.

Despite people without diabetes spending billions on GLP-1 receptor agonists, the researchers said adoption was "limited" in this population, representing only one in 250 adults. In contrast, about 5.1 million adults with type 2 diabetesopens in a new tab or window filled a prescription for one of these agents in 2022.

This indicates that the total national expenditure on GLP-1 agents was "largely driven by patients with diabetes during this period," they pointed out.

"The use of GLP-1 receptor agonist medications among people without diabetes, along with associated expenditures, has almost certainly increased since the period we studied," co-author Cade Shadbolt, MA, also of the University of Melbourne, told MedPage Today. "Since 2022, there have been eased supply constraints, new approvals, and growing public attention."

"Considerable attention has been given to the rapid rise in GLP-1 receptor agonist use since semaglutide's [Ozempic, Wegovy] approval for chronic weight management in 2021," he added. "Given this trend, the increase in use among patients without diabetes that we observed was unsurprising -- though, before our study, it had not been examined on a truly national scale."

Following semaglutide's approval for chronic weight management, a shift in the drug's popularity was noticeable in the NHIS data.

From 2018 to 2021, use of liraglutide (Victoza, Saxenda) and semaglutide were equal at 41% of GLP-1 agent users without diabetes. But in 2022, 65.1% of GLP-1 users were on semaglutide while 21.4% were on liraglutide.

In 2022, 11.9% were on dulaglutide (Trulicity; only indicated for diabetes) and 11.7% were on another GLP-1 agent, which included a cluster of exenatide (Byetta, Bydureon; only indicated for diabetes) and the combination GLP-1/GIP agent tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound). Tirzepatide was approvedopens in a new tab or window for chronic weight management in 2023.

In the sample of adults using a GLP-1 receptor agonist, most were female (64%) and white (73%); their average body mass index (BMI) was 35.7. Two-thirds had a BMI of 30 or greater, indicating clinical obesity.

Over half had comorbid hypertension and high cholesterol. About 35% had arthritis, 5.7% had a prior stroke or myocardial infarction, and 3.5% had coronary heart disease.

"As new nationally representative data become available, ongoing evaluation will be important to identify emerging trends in the use of these medications," said Shadbolt.

Data for the analysis came from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey of the NHISopens in a new tab or window from 2018 to 2022. Households were selected from NHIS respondents to create a representative sample of people ages 18 and older who reported no prior diabetes diagnosis other than gestational diabetes.

Relatively few individuals in the unweighted sample used GLP-1 receptor agonists. This may have influenced the precision of the estimates reported in this study, the researchers acknowledged.

Disclosures

The study was partly supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship.

Primary Source

Annals of Internal Medicine

Source Reference: opens in a new tab or windowShadbolt C, et al "National trends in glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist use in adults without diabetes, 2018 to 2022" Ann Intern Med 2025; DOI: 10.7326/ANNALS-24-02878.

https://www.medpagetoday.com/endocrinology/obesity/114904

"Maryland Father" Or MS-13 Migrant Gangster. Which Is It, MSM?

 Left-leaning corporate media unleashed another info war against the Trump administration after The Atlantic published an overnight story titled "An 'Administrative Error' Sends a Maryland Father to a Salvadoran Prison." However, the struggling outlet behind "SignalGate" conveniently omitted a key detail in the headline: the deported migrant held a "prominent role in MS-13," according to court filings. Notably, this Mexican drug cartel has been officially designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the Trump administration.

The omission in the title was no accident. Details matter, and this appears to be a concerted effort by the left to sway public opinion as the Democratic Party implodes in polling data over its disastrous Tesla Takedown color revolution operation that, in some instances, has resulted in domestic terrorism attacks against Tesla showrooms, service centers, and vehicles nationwide.

MSM conveniently labeled the migrant MS-13 gangster as "Maryland Father" in the headlines ... and that's all you need to know about their slant (migrant gangsters > national security of citizens). 

Many X users fact-checked MSM's reporting, including Will Chamberlain, Senior Counsel at the Internet Accountability Project and the Article III Project, who said, "In an article this evening, The Atlantic pretended that a deported MS-13 gang member was merely a "Maryland father."" 

Before MS13 migrant gangster Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia was removed from the US, he had been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in mid-March "due to his prominent role in MS-13," according to a court declaration from ICE. 

MSM and Dems only fixated on this from the filing: "On March 15, although ICE was aware of his protection from removal to El Salvador, Abrego Garcia was removed to El Salvador because of an administrative error." However, even as the filing admits the error, it continued: "final order of removal and Abrego-Garcia's purported membership in MS-13."

Democrats attempted a 'gotcha moment' with Vice President J.D. Vance...

The VP responded:

My comment is that according to the court document you apparently didn't read he was a convicted MS-13 gang member with no legal right to be here. My further comment is that it's gross to get fired up about gang members getting deported while ignoring citizens they victimize.

VP Vance added in a separate X post:

"It is telling that the entire American media is going to run a propaganda operation today making you think an innocent "father of 3" was apprehended by a gulag." 

Trump has made it very clear through executive orders that migrant gangsters—especially those affiliated with FTOs such as Tren de Aragua and MS-13—will be deported. The mainstream media and the Democratic Party are furious because their future criminal migrant voters are being deported, and their end goal of a one-party state - like California - is being derailed. 

Democrats have chosen migrant gangsters over national security and the safety of law-abiding citizens. This is alarming. 

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/maryland-father-or-ms-13-migrant-gangster-which-it-msm

Merck’s Winrevair Cuts Morbidity, Mortality Risk by Over 75% in Phase III PAH Study

 

Merck continues to build the case for the pulmonary arterial hypertension drug that won FDA approval in 2024.

In high-risk patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, Merck’s fusion protein therapeutic Winrevair reduced the likelihood of major morbidity and mortality by 76% in the Phase III ZENITH trial.

Analysts at Guggenheim Partners called this outcome “striking” and “very impressive” in a note to investors Monday, pointing to improvements in key secondary outcomes in overall survival and transplant-free survival.

The Guggenheim analysts also pointed out that Winrevair had “relatively consistent improvements” in mortality and morbidity across patient subgroups, including age, sex and disease subtype and severity.

In November 2024, Merck announced that, following the recommendations of an independent data monitoring board, it was stopping ZENITH ahead of schedule due to “overwhelming efficacy.” On Monday, the pharma revealed that in the Winrevair arm, 17.4% of patients experienced at least one major morbidity or mortality event, as opposed to 34.7% of placebo comparators.

The data were presented at the 2025 American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session and Expo and simultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Winrevair is a recombinant activin receptor type IIA-Fc fusion protein that targets and binds to activin A and other ligands that belong to the TGF-β superfamily. This mechanism of action allows Winrevair to restore balanceto vascular proliferation, a key pathway that is altered in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). In particular, PAH patients see high excessive cell proliferation in key arteries, leading to thickened blood vessel walls and, in turn, impaired blood flow.

Winrevair was approved by the FDA to treat PAH in March 2024, making it the first-ever drug for the disease that targets activin signaling.

Merck continues to build its evidence base for Winrevair. In March 2023, the pharma unveiled full data from the Phase III STELLAR trial, touting a 40.8-meter improvement in 6-minute walk distance in patients with PAH following treatment with the drug. Winrevair also cut the risk of death or clinical worsening by 84% versus placebo.

Merck is also running the Phase III HYPERION study to assess the benefit of Winrevair when used with background therapy. In January 2025, the company ended the trial ahead of schedule, in line with the recommendations of an external committee, because of strong efficacy findings in an interim analysis. Results from HYPERION will be presented later this year, according to Merck’s Monday announcement.

https://www.biospace.com/drug-development/mercks-winrevair-cuts-morbidity-mortality-risk-by-over-75-in-phase-iii-pah-study

Altria Stops Selling NJOY Ace E-Cigarettes in Patent Dispute With Juul

Tobacco giant Altria Group has stopped selling its NJOY Ace e-cigarettes, after the U.S. International Trade Commission sided with rival Juul Labs in a patent dispute. Consumers can still buy them in stores until retailers' existing inventory runs out.

The ruling was a setback for Altria, which in 2023 divested its investment in Juul and agreed to buy NJOY for at least $2.75 billion. Juul then filed a complaint with the ITC, alleging that the NJOY Ace infringed on its patents. The ITC in January ordered Altria to stop importing, distributing and marketing the devices by March 31. Shares of Altria were down about 2% in midday trading Tuesday.

Among the NJOY products removed from the market is the only menthol vaping product authorized for sale in the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration. Altria Chief Executive Billy Gifford, on a January conference call with analysts, said the ITC's decision limits consumers' choices and "undermines public health, especially in context of a market that is overrun by illicit products."

https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/ALTRIA-GROUP-INC-4837/news/Altria-Stops-Selling-NJOY-Ace-E-Cigarettes-in-Patent-Dispute-With-Juul-49501458/

Visa Offers Apple Roughly $100 Million To Take Over Credit Card From Mastercard- WSJ

 On Tuesday, Visa (NYSE:V) made a significant move to secure its position in the competitive payment network industry by offering Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) approximately $100 million. The bid is an attempt to replace Mastercard (NYSE:MA) as the network for the Apple credit card, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter.

This effort comes as Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS), the current bank supporting the Apple card, plans to exit the consumer lending sector. Visa’s proposition is part of a larger contest among leading payment networks, which also includes American Express (NYSE:AXP), to win over the lucrative partnership with Apple.

The Apple card has become a coveted asset, with major banks such as JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) and Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) already in the race to become the new issuer. However, the battle for the network side of the operation has been just as intense. Visa, being the largest network, has made an aggressive offer that includes the type of upfront payment typically reserved for top-tier card programs.

American Express is also pursuing a dual role in this deal, aiming to be both the issuer and network for the Apple card. In 2023, Goldman Sachs reached out to American Express to explore their interest in taking over the card, signaling the potential for significant changes in the card’s operation.

Meanwhile, Mastercard is not stepping down without a fight, as it actively seeks to retain its position as the network for the Apple card, according to the unnamed sources.

The networks are essential components of the payment process, facilitating the transmission of information between the banks that issue consumer cards and the banks of merchants. The selection of a network by Apple is anticipated to precede the choice of a bank to replace Goldman Sachs, highlighting the importance of this decision in the financial industry.

https://uk.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/visa-bids-100-million-to-snag-apple-card-from-mastercard--wsj-93CH-4009130

Ukraine to hold 'in-depth' talks on foreign troop contingent Friday, Zelenskiy says

 Ukraine will hold in-depth talks on Friday with a small group of foreign countries about contributing forces to a contingent that would act as a security guarantee for Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday.

The Ukrainian leader told a news conference with Germany's foreign minister that he was awaiting "more concrete" answers from Kyiv's allies on their readiness to participate in such a force, an initiative Russia strongly opposes.

"As far as the matter of a contingent goes, we will have a meeting on Friday. It will be a meeting of our military teams, several countries, a narrow circle of countries that will be ready to deploy a contingent in one form or another," he said.

Zelenskiy said that the contingent would include a land component, an air component and a presence at sea.

U.S. President Donald Trump has said he wants to end the three-year-old conflict in Ukraine that began with Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.

Washington last week brokered a halt between the two countries on strikes against each other's energy infrastructure.

The U.S. has hoped to reach a full ceasefire followed by a lasting peace settlement. But an agreement appears distant despite Trump's promises to bring the conflict to a quick end.

Kyiv's European allies have expressed willingness to contribute troops to a force that would provide security guarantees to Ukraine under a ceasefire and to strengthen Ukraine's military long term.

"This will be the first in-depth meeting, (before that) there were consultations. I think we will see some clarifications and some details," Zelenskiy said of Friday's meeting.

He added that it was not only the contingent under discussion. "It is very important how the future of the Ukrainian army will look like," he said.

A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday that British, French and Ukrainian military leaders would meet in the coming days to build on "real momentum" in efforts to boost Ukraine's security.

The Ukrainian leader also used the news conference to urge the United States to ramp up sanctions on Russia for what he said were violations of the ceasefire on energy infrastructure.

He said that the United States had told the Ukrainians privately that it had seen Russian violations of the agreement, which emerged from talks held in Saudi Arabia last week.

Russia has itself accused the Ukrainians of continuing to strike energy infrastructure, something Kyiv denies.

Trump rapidly reoriented American policy on the war since taking office in January, resuming direct dialogue with Russia, while at times piling pressure on Ukraine, for instance by temporarily cutting arms supplies and intelligence sharing.

This week, the United States proposed a dramatically expanded minerals deal with Ukraine, a summary of which seen by Reuters suggested that Washington was demanding all Ukraine's natural resources income for years.

Zelenskiy, who wants the White House as a close partner and has been cautious in his public pronouncements on the deal, told reporters on Tuesday that Ukrainian and American teams were working on a draft.

But Ukraine, he said, would have to nominate a legal company to work on the draft, a decision that would be made in the coming days.

https://www.aol.com/ukraine-hold-depth-talks-foreign-174403306.html