The US seven-day average for newly reported COVID-19 cases fell 12.5% to 84,555 from the prior week, marking the fourth straight week of decline, while the weekly average for COVID-19 deaths fell 13.4% to 1,241, according to the CDC. The seven-day average for COVID-19 hospitalizations dropped 8.8% to 6,659 for the period ending Oct. 12, while average daily vaccinations declined by 11.3% to 841,731 as of Oct. 14.

Visit the COVID Vaccine Facts for Nurses website for relevant, accurate and up-to-date information as well as expert perspectives about the safety, efficacy and importance of COVID-19 vaccines.

The CDC reports that as of Sunday morning, almost 408.3 million COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered in the US, with more than 10.5 million Americans given a booster dose since Aug. 13. The number of fully vaccinated Americans is 189.1 million while 218.8 million have received at least one dose.

Researchers studied 110 youths ages 2 weeks to 21 years who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection and found that all age groups were equally capable of having high levels of live, replicating COVID-19 virus in their respiratory secretions. The findings, published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, also showed that viral loads among youths with COVID-19 were highest in the early stages of the illness and were similar to viral loads of adults with COVID-19.

A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found children with autism spectrum disorder did not show improvements in social or cognitive function after daily intranasal treatment with oxytocin for 24 weeks, compared with a control group. The placebo-controlled study included 290 children ages 3 to 17.

Researchers studied 17,055 children in Sweden and found that exposure to antibiotics in early life was linked to later onset of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. The findings in Pediatric Rheumatology also showed that the risk of JIA was three times higher among those who were exposed to antibiotics during their first three years of life, over two times higher among those exposed during their first five years of life and 78% higher in those exposed in their first eight years of life, compared with those who were not exposed to antibiotics.

Breast cancer risk prediction models should be tailored to Black people, but until now, too few Black people had enrolled in breast cancer epidemiology studies to derive accurate models. A predictive model developed and validated at Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center may help primary care providers identify Black people at high risk for breast cancer, potentially resulting in earlier screening and fewer diagnoses at a late stage.

Close to 43% of integrated health systems and medical care groups may need to postpone population health initiatives and put off hiring, according to a survey commissioned by the AMGA. Thirty-seven percent would remove services and close to 20% expect to lay off clinical personnel if the proposed Medicare pay cuts take into effect, according to the survey.

As hospitals have become crowded with COVID-19 patients, nearly 1 in 5 Americans have had to delay health care for serious illnesses, a study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found. Many patients say they are seeing negative outcomes as a result, and clinicians have reported issues like cancers being diagnosed at a later stage.

The National Health Service Corps will receive $100 million from the American Rescue Plan to address the shortage of health care workers, according to the Biden administration. The funding will help recruit primary care providers in places challenged by recruitment and retention issues. "This investment will make a tremendous impact on access to primary care and addressing health disparities at a critical time," said Diana Espinosa, acting administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration.

The biologics license application filed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals for REGEN-COV, or casirivimab and imdevimab, as a treatment for nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients and as a prophylaxis to prevent symptomatic infections among asymptomatic household contacts of individuals infected with COVID-19 was accepted by the FDA for priority review. Submission of the application for the antibody cocktail is backed by data from two late-stage trials that tested its safety and efficacy in over 6,000 patients.

The FDA has approved Merck's Keytruda, or pembrolizumab, as a first-line treatment for recurrent, persistent or metastatic cervical cancer with tumors that express PD-L1. The treatment is combined with chemotherapy and may be administered with or without bevacizumab.

The Oct. 31 deadline is looming! Don't delay! Apply for the ANA Innovation Awards, sponsored by Stryker, and YOU could win $25,000 entering as an individual or $50,000 as a team. Awards will be presented to a nurse and a nurse-led team whose innovations can include: educational interventions, products, devices, technology, research, businesses or programs, services, or new care models that are improving health and patient safety. Open to all nurses. You don't want to miss this opportunity! Learn more and apply today.