Researchers estimate vaccines have saved 154 million lives over past half-century

An international team of health and medical researchers including workers at the WHO, working with economists and modeling specialists, has found that the use of vaccines to prevent or treat disease has saved the lives of approximately 154 million people over the past half-century.

In their study, published in The Lancet, the group used mathematical and statistical modeling to develop estimates for lives saved due to vaccines and then added them together to find the total.

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US to post influenza A wastewater data online to assist bird flu probe, official says The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is planning to post data on influenza A found in wastewater in a public dashboard possibly as soon as Friday that could offer new clues into the outbreak of H5N1 bird flu in cattle herds. Julie Steenhuysen Reuters

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Countries struggle to draft 'pandemic treaty' to avoid mistakes made during COVID After the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders worldwide vowed to do better next time but are still struggling to finalize a global plan. The World Health Organization is overseeing an effort to come up with an agreement for responding to the next pandemic. AP News

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UK refuses to sign global vaccine treaty, The Telegraph reports Britain is refusing to sign the World Health Organization's (WHO) pandemic accord because the country says it would have to give away a fifth of its vaccines, the Telegraph reported on Wednesday. Reuters Reuters

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New COVID variants are a reminder of coronavirus reality Even with COVID at a low point, the virus is still circulating and evolving. Adriel Bettelheim Axios

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As much as the public wants to move on — and has moved on — from the pandemic, uncertainty about the coronavirus' evolution means those who remain the most vigilant can't fully shake the pandemic experience.

Project delays are holding back clean power installation, report says Delays in projects have caused clean power installations in the United States to fall behind on their expected start dates, according to a report published by American Clean Power Association on Tuesday. Reuters Reuters

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AstraZeneca withdraws Covid-19 vaccine citing low demand | CNN Business AstraZeneca is withdrawing its highly successful coronavirus vaccine, citing the availability of a plethora of new shots that has led to a decline in demand. Hanna Ziady CNN

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In a notice on its website, the European Medicines Agency also announced the withdrawal, which means that Vaxzevria is no longer authorized to be marketed or sold in European Union countries.

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Study: HHS's COVID vaccine campaign saved $732 billion in averted infections, costs The US Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS's) COVID-19 vaccination campaign saved $732 billion by averting illness and related costs during the Delta and Omicron variant waves, with a return of nearly $90 for every dollar spent, estimates a study by HHS and the research firm Fors Marsh. CIDRAP

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What a US farmworker’s case of bird flu tells us about tracking the infection | CNN A US farmworker who caught bird flu after working with dairy cattle in Texas appears to be the first known case of mammal-to-human transmission of the virus, a new study shows. Brenda Goodman CNN

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