1,081 Injuries Tied to Device; Military’s COVID Shot Probe; Teen Vax Coverage Slides

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The FDA warned that Boston Scientific’s recalled spinal cord stimulator for chronic limb pain has been linked to 1,081 serious injuries due to an issue involving its lead component.

And the E. coli outbreak linked to frozen blueberries sold at Publix has grown to 17 illnesses in two states, including six hospitalizations, the agency said.

Shortly after releasing it, the Defense Department temporarily rescinded clinical guidance for mandatory screening for testosterone deficiency in troops. (CBS News)

Meanwhile, Politico reported that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is investigating whether any troop deaths were linked to the COVID vaccine.

In other Kennedy news, sources say he was behind the decision to remove two measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania from CDC’s measles tracker and that CDC Director Erica Schwartz, MD, did so without objection. (Reuters via AOL)

After remaining mostly silent for the past year, Anthony Fauci, MD, spoke in an online interview about the pandemic, global health, and his own record. (Science)

Mouse research in Science suggested psilocybin could help prevent chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

The Washington Post highlighted identical twins Travan Jasper, MD, and Travis Jasper, MD, who together run the emergency department at Chippenham Hospital in Richmond, Virginia.

A private jet carrying four doctors en route to perform surgery crashed after overrunning the runway at a California airport. All survived. (ABC 30)

Why did overdose deaths sharply decline? A combination of policies, a changing drug supply, and behavioral changes, according to a Commonwealth Fund analysis.

Meanwhile, cannabis was detected in 21% of overdose deaths in recent years, a CDC report indicated. (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report)

A genetically modified pig kidney kept a 66-year-old man with kidney failure free of dialysis for a record 271 days, acting as a “bridge” to a transplant from a deceased human donor. (The Guardian)

The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association released cardiovascular guidance for clinicians caring for tactical athletes, such as emergency response and military personnel. (Circulation)

A CDC survey of teens showed reduced vaccine coverage for the tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) and meningococcal vaccines in 2025 from the year prior. (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report)

STAT interviewed pediatricians willing to take on vaccine-skeptical parents.

Democrats plan to pursue legislation to expand Medicare coverage if they take the House in the midterms. (Washington Post)

Meanwhile, The Guardian profiled emergency nurse Mitchell Berman, RN, who’s running as a Democratic in the November election and hoping to flip a Wisconsin House seat.

Amid ongoing shortages, the FDA said it’s working with manufacturers to boost the supply of estrogen patches.

And the agency said it wants public input on how to advance the development of botanical drug products.

Do people really start to smell different as they get older? (The Guardian)

Kids’ access to free school meals is at risk following cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. (NPR)