US agency urges interim payments for healthcare providers hit by UnitedHealth hack The U.S. government said on Friday it has urged states to make interim payments to healthcare providers that were hit by the cyberattack at UnitedHealth's unit Change Healthcare. Reuters Reuters

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Brisk US flu activity continues as COVID indicators drop further The nation's flu activity remained elevated last week, with an increase in test positivity, as levels of two other respiratory viruses—COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)—continued their steady declines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in updates today. CIDRAP

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Measles cases on the rise: Transmission, symptoms and vaccine info | CNN

How worried should people be about the measles? An expert explains | CNN Measles cases are rising in the US, according to the CDC. Dr. Leana Wen explains how measles spreads, its symptoms and why it’s considered a dangerous disease. Katia Hetter CNN

The CDC could shrink under a second Trump administration A CDC reorganization as some conservatives are calling for could impact the agency's ability to help prevent or mitigate the spread of disease, according to a former agency director. POLITICO

Fueled by a distrust of the CDC’s handling of Covid-19 and the recommendations it made on measures like masking and vaccines, many conservatives want the agency dismantled — and hope a second Trump administration could make it happen.

Blood Test Could Predict Long-Term COVID-19 Lung Problems New research alleviates concerns that severe COVID-19 could trigger relentless, ongoing lung scarring that could lead to death. Joshua Barney UVA Health Newsroom

UVA Health researchers have discovered a potential way to predict which patients with severe COVID-19 are likely to recover well and which are likely to suffer “long-haul” lung problems. That finding could help doctors better personalize treatments for individual patients.

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Analysis: 4 years, 1.2 million lives and trillions of dollars later, a rematch | CNN Politics Americans may feel like they’re reliving 2020, with a general election rematch set for 2024. But while the politicians’ faces are the same, life is much different. Zachary B. Wolf CNN

..it’s equally remarkable, precisely four years later, how Covid-19 has both changed American life and also faded to the background.

How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Pits Parental Rights Against Public Health - KFF Health News Framed in the rhetoric of choice, Tennessee’s new law governing childhood vaccinations is among more than a dozen recently passed or pending nationwide that set parental freedom against community and children’s health. khnkytjaw KFF Health News

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Covid vaccines cut risk of virus-related heart failure and blood clots, study finds Researchers say jabs substantially reduce for up to a year the chances of serious cardiovascular complications The Guardian

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