Brain-Eating Amoeba Death; Matthew Perry’s Drug Story; Big Tobacco Woos Democrats

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A Nevada boy has died from a brain-eating amoeba infection following a trip to Lake Mead. (USA Today)

COVID-19 played a roll in 25% of maternal deaths in 2020-2021, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office.

As demand flags, the price of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID vaccine will likely increase to $110-$130 a dose — about four times the current price — when the federal government’s current purchasing contract expires. (Reuters)

The United States’ failure to adopt a complete ban of asbestos left workers at a New York chemical plant “swimming” in the toxic substance for years. (ProPublica)

Roche/Genentech has initiated a voluntary recall of the ranibizumab port delivery system (Susvimo) to address a manufacturing issue, a Roche executive said during a call with investors. (FiercePharma)

The Environmental Protection Agency has begun an investigation into whether state agencies in Mississippi discriminated against the majority-Black state capital of Jackson by refusing to fund improvements to the city’s water system. (AP)

Aiming to protect its drinking water, New Hampshire is looking to regulate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — so-called forever chemicals — in its soil. (NHPR)

Survivors of bubonic plague passed on a genetic mutation that protected their descendants against future outbreaks — but at a price. (NPR)

Emergency department (ED) visits for sexual assault have grown tenfold since 2006. (JAMA Network Open)

The Washington Post tells the story of how a teenager with autism spent 76 days in a Maryland ED while awaiting a psychiatric bed.

With his memoir set for a November 1 release, “Friends” star Matthew Perry opens up about his drug and alcohol addictions. (CNN)

Amid an ongoing shortage of infant formula, AbbVie plans to build a $500 million production facility, a company executive said during an investor call. (CNN)

Don’t confuse the Apple Watch’s fertility tracking feature with birth control. (The Verge)

Law enforcement at Los Angeles International Airport seized thousands of suspected fentanyl tablets hidden in candy boxes. (NPR)

Modeled after a groundbreaking hospice for the homeless in Utah, a plan for a similar facility in California faces pushback. (Los Angeles Times)

A CDC survey of healthcare personnel immunization for 2021-2022 showed an 80% vaccination rate for influenza and 87% for primary COVID vaccination, 67% of whom also got a booster.

A toxic work environment can harm workers’ physical and emotional health, according to a report from the Surgeon General.

Not known for supporting Democrats, Big Tobacco has made substantial campaign contributions to Black Democratic candidates for Congress. (STAT)

Johnson & Johnson MedTech and DePuy Synthes announced FDA clearance of the Teligen System, an integrated technology platform that enables minimally invasive surgical transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion spinal procedures.

Five people have been charged with felony child abuse following allegations that a worker at a day care center in Mississippi wore a “creepy” mask while yelling at children. (NBC News)

Walmart will pay $215 million to settle claims its pharmacies helped fuel Florida’s opioid epidemic. (Reuters)