As the number of reported COVID-19 cases teeters at about 100,000 each day, health experts warn there isn't an easy fix but pointed to two tools aimed at tackling the pandemic: improving nationwide vaccination rates and the potential of omicron-targeted boosters. 

The U.S. will deploy 296,000 doses of Jynneos monkeypox vaccine — the preferred vaccine — over the coming weeks and is expanding eligibility for vaccination. 

Hospitals and medical associations across the nation reacted to the Supreme Court's June 24 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade by calling attention to the consequences it will have on vulnerable populations, and the increased demand providers will see in states where abortion services are still acessible. 

Global health officials have identified at least 920 probable cases of acute hepatitis of unknown origin among children in 33 countries, the World Health Organization said June 24.

Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 collectively account for 52 percent of U.S. COVID-19 cases, according to the CDC's latest variant proportion estimates for the week ending June 25. 

Utah will see the greatest increase in COVID-19 case rates by July 4, while Delaware will see the greatest decrease in cases, according to forecasts from Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic. 

The monkeypox outbreak does not constitute a public health emergency of international concern at this time, the World Health Organization said June 25. 

National disease modeling suggests COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths will remain stable through mid-July while cases will continue to rise, albeit at a slower pace.  

The nation's seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases decreased by 5.6 percent this week, according to the CDC's COVID-19 data tracker weekly review published June 24.

In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade June 24, overturning the constitutional protection for abortion, The Washington Post reported. The decision leaves the legal status of abortion up to states. 

The CDC is developing a protocol to allow the use of Bavarian Nordic's Jynneos monkeypox vaccine in children, if it becomes necessary, according to agency meeting documents cited by Bloomberg in a June 23 report. 

Although known for its many beautiful beaches and warm, sunny days, California is also where nearly 270 million people travel each year, visiting famous locales and sights such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Hollywood, Yosemite National Park, and Disneyland. While it appears to be a land of dreams; in reality, the population of California is grappling with high rates of a substance use disorder, much like other states within the nation are.

Editor's note: This article was posted on June 23. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade June 24. The effects of the Supreme Court's proposed overrule of Roe v. Wade would touch health systems nationwide — leading some clinicians to urge industry leaders to start preparing for potential fallout prior to the decision. 

The CDC urged vaccinations against meningococcal disease June 22 as an outbreak has caused at least 26 cases of serious illness and six deaths among gay and bisexual men in Florida.

BA.4 and BA.5 can substantially escape neutralizing antibody responses from both vaccination and prior infection, according to research from a team at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. 

The federal government is slated to consider lowering maximum nicotine levels to a minimal or nonaddictive standard in May 2023. If successful, the new measure could lower the risk of addiction and prevent some of the nation's 480,000 annual smoking-related deaths.

Despite the large presence of dispensing sites in "high vulnerability" ZIP codes, pharmacies doled out fewer antiviral treatments between Dec. 23, 2021, and May 21, 2022, compared to other ZIP codes, according to a CDC study published June 21. 

As hospitals and clinics distribute the long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine for 6-month- to 5-year-olds this week, health experts acknowledged parents' hesitancy but said the "wait and see" tactic leaves children vulnerable to the surge expected this fall.

BA.4 and BA.5 now account for nearly 35 percent of U.S. cases, according to the CDC's latest variant proportion update. The strains have become known as "sister variants" of the original omicron strain. 

Health experts largely welcomed the news that COVID-19 vaccines for children as young as 6 months old are now available, after sign-off from the FDA and CDC.