What We’re Reading: Monkeypox Health Emergency Renewed; Amoxicillin Shortage; Weight Loss Drug for Teens

Health Emergency Renewed for Monkeypox in the United States

HHS announced that it is renewing the national public health emergency for the monkeypox outbreak, according to The Hill. The continued consequences of the outbreak in multiple states were cited as the reason to prolong the declared health emergency, as well as the need to maintain the flow of data and allow studies on vaccine effectiveness to continue. This news comes as new studies have found that monkeypox can spread prior to symptoms appearing, according to Reuters, which challenges the previously held belief that monkeypox is primarily spread by people already sick.

Shortage of Amoxicillin Caused by Increased Respiratory Illness

A shortage of amioxicillin has been caused by an increase in respiratory illnesses in children throughout the country, according to The Washington Post. Pharmacists say that amoxicillin in some form is still available, but parents may have to visit multiple pharmacies or accept a different strength or form than originally prescribed due to the shortage. The shortage is mostly affecting supplies of the liquid version and some chewable tablet forms. The shortage may last only as long as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season does, as the shortage is in large part due to the influx of children admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of RSV.

Weight Loss Drug Helps Teenagers With Obesity

A clinical trial found that teenagers with obesity were able to lose weight when using semaglutide (Wegovy), which reduces appetite, according to NBC News. The study found that more than 40% of the participants, aged 12 to 17 years, who received the drug and lifestyle counseling saw a reduction in their body mass index by 20% or more. Semaglutide has previously been found to benefit adults who have type 2 diabetes and has been proven to help weight loss in adults, with the FDA approving the drug for weight loss in 2021. Long-term effectiveness of the drug has yet to be determined.