WHO: Monkeypox Threat ‘Real’; FDA May Delay Novavax Decision; Cancer Etiquette

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There is a “real” risk that monkeypox will establish itself in non-endemic countries if the current global threat is not wrestled under control, said World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD. (NBC News)

Scientists are concerned monkeypox could establish itself in wildlife outside of Africa, creating a reservoir that could lead to repeated human outbreaks in non-endemic countries. (Science)

Meanwhile, lessons from the AIDS crisis are shaping the response to the monkeypox outbreak. (STAT)

FDA’s decision to authorize the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine may be delayed yet again due to manufacturing changes in need of review. (CNBC)

As Congressional funds run dry, the White House plans to divert $10 billion allocated for COVID testing and personal protective equipment to purchase vaccines and treatments for the fall. (NBC News)

Most Americans want the federal government to continue to cover COVID-19 testing, vaccination, and treatment for the uninsured, according to a new Politico-Harvard poll.

An armed man was arrested near the home of Brett Kavanaugh after allegedly making threats against the Supreme Court justice; according to court documents, the suspect was in part motivated by the leaked decision overturning Roe v. Wade. (Washington Post)

As of Thursday at 8 a.m. EDT, the unofficial U.S. COVID toll was 85,207,613 infections and 1,009,581 deaths, increases of 220,977 and 1,215, respectively, compared with this time Wednesday morning.

Airline officials want the Biden administration to end pre-departure COVID testing requirements for vaccinated passengers entering the country, arguing the policy does not match the threat of the virus and is costing them billions. (The Hill)

CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-Lasure said Medicaid will look to expand access to birth control if Roe v. Wade is overturned. (CNBC)

Simone Biles and other U.S. Women’s National Team gymnasts are seeking $1 billion from the FBI, alleging the agency failed to properly follow-up on sexual abuse claims against now-disgraced former team doctor Larry Nassar, DO. (NPR)

A digital attack on Massachusetts-based Shields Health Care Group may have compromised the sensitive personal and medical information of as many as 2 million people. (AP)

Virginia-based Sovah Health agreed to pay the U.S. $4.36 million to settle claims that the hospital system violated the Controlled Substances Act — in relation to prescription opioids — numerous times over the past several years, the Justice Department announced.

The FDA has launched a campaign to prevent e-cigarette use among American Indian/Alaska Native youth.

Amid global supply chain constraints, the agency is considering a pilot program to test an alternate sterilization program for medical devices that are sterilized using radiation.

Meanwhile, FDA announced that Buzzagogo is recalling a lot of Allergy Bee Gone for Kids Nasal Swab Remedy to the consumer level due to potential contamination with Bacillus cereus.

Proponents claim that “beefalo,” the result of crossbreeding bison and cattle, will be the healthy meat of the future. (NPR)

What’s the etiquette for talking to people with cancer? (Washington Post)

The LeBron James Family Foundation plans to open a multi-million dollar medical facility in James’s hometown of Akron, Ohio. (Becker’s Hospital Review)

Washington, D.C. lawmakers passed a law banning companies from firing employees who test positive for marijuana use. (USA Today)