Sanofi to Acquire Dynavax in $2.2 Billion Deal to Strengthen Vaccine Portfolio 
Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly Cut Obesity Drug Prices in China as Competition Intensifies 
Trump Orders DHS to Avoid Protests in Democratic Cities Unless Federal Assets Are Threatened 
Panama Supreme Court Voids CK Hutchison Port Concessions, Raising Geopolitical and Trade Concerns 
U.S. Vaccine Policy Shifts Under RFK Jr. Create Uncertainty for Pharma and Investors 
Royalty Pharma Stock Rises After Acquiring Full Evrysdi Royalty Rights from PTC Therapeutics 
Weight-Loss Drug Ads Take Over the Super Bowl as Pharma Embraces Direct-to-Consumer Marketing 
Sanofi Reports Positive Late-Stage Results for Amlitelimab in Eczema Treatment 
Trump Threatens 50% Tariff on Canadian Aircraft Amid Escalating U.S.-Canada Trade Dispute 
FDA Approves Mitapivat for Anemia in Thalassemia Patients 
Merck Raises Growth Outlook, Targets $70 Billion Revenue From New Drugs by Mid-2030s 
U.S. Eases Venezuela Oil Sanctions to Boost American Investment After Maduro Ouster 
China to Add Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro to National Health Insurance in 2025 
Federal Appeals Court Blocks Trump-Era Hospital Drug Rebate Plan 
Pentagon Ends Military Education Programs With Harvard University 
Panama Supreme Court Voids Hong Kong Firm’s Panama Canal Port Contracts Over Constitutional Violations 
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revised its guidance on COVID-19 vaccines for children, stating that vaccination for healthy individuals aged 6 months to 17 years should follow a “shared clinical decision-making” process. This means that shots are still available, but only if parents and doctors agree it's necessary based on individual circumstances.
The move marks a shift from earlier CDC guidance, which broadly recommended updated COVID-19 vaccines for everyone six months and older. The updated schedule, published Thursday, outlines that if parents want their child vaccinated, they may proceed based on a healthcare provider’s judgment and the family’s preference.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine skeptic, claimed earlier in the week that COVID vaccines for healthy children and pregnant women had been removed from the CDC’s immunization schedule. However, a Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson said there is no contradiction, as the CDC’s updated guidance no longer promotes universal vaccination for healthy children but still allows it case-by-case.
Medical experts criticized Kennedy’s unilateral announcement, saying it bypassed the CDC’s usual advisory process. The Infectious Diseases Society of America warned the change may limit access and insurance coverage, especially for vulnerable children. They emphasized that COVID-19 can cause serious illness in children, including long COVID symptoms that may impact development.
According to CDC data, nearly 1,900 children under 18 have died from COVID-19 in the U.S. as of 2023. Vaccine makers Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax have not commented on the development.
The FDA also recently announced it would require new clinical trials for annual COVID boosters in healthy individuals under 65, reinforcing a more limited use strategy moving forward.
