Corruption review finds 'red flags' in more than 130 Covid contracts An anti-corruption charity finds significant concerns in £15.3bn worth of contracts awarded during the pandemic. BBC News

An anti-corruption charity says it has identified significant concerns in contracts worth over £15.3bn awarded by the Conservative government during the Covid pandemic, equivalent to one in every £3 spent.

Transparency International UK found 135 “high-risk” contracts with at least three red flags - warning signs of a risk of corruption.

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White House announces rule that would cut insurance red tape over mental health and substance use disorder care | CNN The Biden administration announced a final rule on Monday meant to expand access and lower costs for care for mental health and substance use disorders. Most provisions in the rule will apply to group health plans and health insurance issuers for plan years starting January 1 or after. Carma Hassan, Jamie Gumbrecht CNN

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H5 influenza vaccines: What needs to be done to reduce the risk of a pandemic As the global threat of H5N1 influenza looms with outbreaks across species and continents including the U.S., three international vaccine and public health experts say it is time to fully resource and ... Science X Medical Xpress

As the global threat of H5N1 influenza looms with outbreaks across species and continents including the U.S., three international vaccine and public health experts say it is time to fully resource and support a robust strategy to address this and future potential pandemic influenza threats, including to consider voluntary vaccination for those now at exposure risk.

RSV vaccine 75% effective against hospitalization in older adults, CDC study estimates The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine for older adults was 75% effective against hospitalization in its first season of use, adding to the findings of prelicensure trials, according to a test-negative, case-control analysis published today in JAMA. CIDRAP

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An estimated 60,000 to 160,000 RSV hospital admissions occur each year among US adults aged 65 years and older.

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