New Haven, Conn. — Most vaccines — and boosters — are injected directly into muscle tissue, usually in the upper arm, to kickstart the body’s immune system in the fight against disease. But for respiratory diseases like COVID-19, it can be important to have protection right where the virus enters: the respiratory tract. 

In a new study, Yale researchers found that nasal vaccine boosters can trigger strong immune defenses in the respiratory tract, even without the help of immune-boosting ingredients known as adjuvants. The findings, researchers suggest, may offer critical insights into developing safer, more effective nasal vaccines in the future.   

About The Study: In this study, associations of structural and social determinants of health with mortality persisted with adjustment for percentage African genetic ancestry. The findings support the hypothesis that structural and social determinants of health should be the primary factors to consider for eliminating health disparities.

About The Study: In this cross-sectional study examining clinical notes of more than 18,000 patients admitted for labor and birth, there were notable disparities in how stigmatizing and positive language was documented across racial and ethnic groups. This underscores the necessity for improving documentation and communication practices to reduce the use of stigmatizing language.

ACMG Responds to NASEM Report on Newborn Screening, Urges Action Amid Federal Changes
The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) commends the National Academies’ recent report on newborn screening (NBS), which outlines nine essential recommendations to strengthen and sustain this critical public health program. However, ACMG expresses concern that recent federal actions—including the termination of the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children (ACHDNC) and proposed funding cuts—threaten the national coordination necessary for continued success. ACMG calls on Congress to reauthorize the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act and commit to modernizing and safeguarding the NBS system. In parallel, ACMG has convened a RUSP Continuation Task Force to develop interim solutions that uphold rigorous evidence-based review and preserve collaborative progress in the absence of ACHDNC.

Bottom Line: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends early, universal screening for syphilis infection during pregnancy; if an individual is not screened early in pregnancy, the USPSTF recommends screening at the first available opportunity. Untreated syphilis infection during pregnancy can be passed to the fetus, causing congenital syphilis. Congenital syphilis is associated with premature birth, low birth weight, stillbirth, neonatal death, and significant abnormalities in the infant such as deformed bones, anemia, enlarged liver and spleen, jaundice, brain and nerve problems (e.g., permanent vision or hearing loss), and meningitis. The USPSTF routinely makes recommendations about the effectiveness of preventive care services and this recommendation is consistent with the 2018 recommendation.