Seniors and Boosters; New Theory on TB Spread; Pig-to-Human Kidney Transplant

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So far, one in seven seniors have received a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot. (CNN)

Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine, MD, was sworn in as a four-star admiral, making her the the nation's first openly transgender four-star officer across any of the eight uniformed services, as well as the first female four-star admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, HHS announced.

Tuberculosis is spread through coughing, right? Think again. (New York Times)

In a surgical first, a kidney grown in a genetically altered pig was successfully transplanted into a human. (AP)

The FDA authorized the marketing of four new smokeless tobacco products from Verve, saying they are "appropriate for the protection of the public health" because data show that youth, nonsmokers, and former smokers are unlikely to initiate or re-initiate tobacco use with these products.

As of Wednesday at 8 a.m. EDT, the unofficial U.S. COVID-19 toll reached 45,140,220 cases and 728,313 deaths, up 88,298 cases and 2,046 deaths from this time yesterday.

Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro was responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths in the country as he let the coronavirus rage in a failed effort to achieve herd immunity, according to a report from a Brazilian congressional panel. (New York Times)

The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children's Hospital Association have declared a mental health emergency for children because of the pandemic and other stressors, and are asking policymakers to act.

Confused about COVID-19 vaccines' approvals, authorizations, efficacy rates, and dosages? Check out this chart. (The Medical Letter)

Troubles at Novavax are hampering the global vaccination campaign. (Politico)

Some workers whose employers are instituting vaccine mandates say the mandate shouldn't apply to them because they've already had COVID-19. (Wall Street Journal via MSN)

Women who got COVID-19 while pregnant -- including one who lost her baby -- are sharing their stories in order to encourage pregnant women to get vaccinated. (AP)

Atea Pharmaceuticals reported that in a phase II trial, its investigational oral treatment for COVID-19 (AT-527) failed to meet the primary endpoint of reducing viral load for outpatients with mild to moderate illness versus placebo.

Rep. Andy Harris, MD (R-Md.), an anesthesiologist, said he has prescribed ivermectin as a COVID-19 treatment. (Washington Post)

Got a ticket to see country singer Travis Tritt? If the venue requires proof of vaccination, a mask mandate, or a negative COVID test, you might want to make other plans, according to his website.

Think the physician shortage is bad now? It's likely to get worse as more doctors switch to concierge care. (Scientific American)

Experts warned that Biogen's new Alzheimer's drug aducanumab (Aduhelm) would bankrupt Medicare, but the company's third-quarter sales of only $300,000 tell a different story. (Reuters)

Paging Dr. Google: the majority of Americans don't understand what their doctor tells them during a visit, and often turn to the internet or other third-party sources for information. (Fierce Healthcare)

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer turned down a request by Maine healthcare workers to temporarily block a court ruling allowing a vaccine mandate in their state to go forward; Breyer said the workers would be able to return to the Supreme Court later depending on what happens next in the case. (New York Times)

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