FDA approves 12-month flea treatment for dogs, marking veterinary breakthrough
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(WASHINGTON) — Dogs across the U.S. could soon get longer-lasting protection against pesky parasites thanks to a new treatment approved by federal regulators Thursday.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given the green light to Bravecto Quantum, the first-ever flea and tick preventative that can protect dogs for up to 12 months with a single injection. The treatment is approved for dogs and puppies 6 months and older.
The new shot is an alternative to treatments that usually need to be given every month or every few months.
“Fluralaner, the active ingredient in Bravecto Quantum, can be an important part of parasite control depending on where pet owners live in the country,” said Dr. Tina Wismer, senior director of toxicology at ASPCA Poison Control, in an email to ABC News. “A long-term flea and tick preventative can be a useful option for dog owners who live in areas where year-round protection is necessary, or for those who might not be able or remember to administer treatment on a monthly or quarterly basis.”
The injectable treatment must be administered by a licensed veterinarian, who will determine whether an 8- or 12-month protection period is appropriate based on local tick species. Veterinarians will also monitor for potential side effects.
While the drug belongs to a commonly used and safe class of medications called isoxazolines, some dogs may experience neurologic side effects, including muscle tremors and seizures.
Julie Cappiello, with Voters For Animal Rights, an advocacy organization, said she welcomes the new treatment but emphasized caution.
“As someone who spends a great deal of time outdoors with my dog, I see the convenience of a long-lasting, 12-month flea and tick preventative like Bravecto Quantum,” she said in a statement. “However, it’s important to recognize that no single treatment is right for every dog, and all medications come with potential risks.”
The new treatment is manufactured by Intervet, Inc., based in Rahway, New Jersey.
Pet owners interested in the new treatment option should consult their veterinarians to determine if it’s appropriate for their dogs, particularly those with a history of neurological issues.
(WASHINGTON) — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., one of the nation’s most publicly recognized vaccine skeptics, took a softened approach on vaccines when he answered questions before a House committee Wednesday morning, avoiding sharing his personal views and instead deferring to the doctors running the National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Kennedy also defended the massive cuts to the department’s workforce and laid out his priorities for the Trump administration’s proposed budget.
After he appeared before the House Appropriations Committee Wednesday morning, he will head to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee in the afternoon. The appearances mark the first time Kennedy has testified before Congress since his confirmation hearings in late January, and force him to confront statements he made that critics say are evidence of promises broken.
Kennedy says his ‘opinions about vaccines are irrelevant’
During the House hearing, Kennedy avoided sharing his own thoughts about vaccines — which have previously invited skepticism.
Asked by Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan if he would today vaccinate his own children for measles and chickenpox, Kennedy said “probably” for measles, but that “what I would say is my opinions about vaccines are irrelevant.”
“I don’t want to seem like I’m being evasive, but I don’t think people should be taking advice, medical advice from me,” Kennedy said.
He said he has directed NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya to try to “lay out the pros and cons, the risks and benefits, accurately as we understand them, with replicable studies,” for people to “make that decision.”
His comments mark a departure from his strong opinions about vaccines before taking office as HHS secretary.
During his confirmation hearing in January, Kennedy said that he supports vaccines, although he refused to unequivocally say that vaccines don’t cause autism, despite numerous existing studies already showing there is no link. However, in March, the HHS confirmed that the CDC will study whether vaccines cause autism.
Shortly after Kennedy said people should not take his medical advice, some public health experts criticized the comments — one of whom said that giving people guidance “is [Kennedy’s] job.”
“The problem is that is his job — the top line of his job description — is the nation’s chief health strategist. That is the top line of every health official, federal, state, local leader. That is his job, is to give people the best advice that he can. I believe that he’s giving up on, in my view, his chief responsibility,” Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, told reporters on a call in which he and other health leaders responded to Kennedy’s testimony in front of the House Appropriations Committee.
Benjamin pointed out that Kennedy has, in fact, seemed to advise people on how to treat measles, leading them toward unproven remedies.
‘Because of these cuts people will die’
Kennedy continued to maintain that widespread cuts at HHS have not impacted key health programs, saying he has not withheld any funding for lifesaving research at NIH and continues to prioritize pillars such as Head Start, Medicare and Medicaid.
But in a tense back-and-forth with Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro, ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, she demanded Kennedy’s assurance that he would not cut programs that have been approved and funded by Congress, which has “the power of the purse” ascribed to it in the Constitution.
Kennedy said he would spend appropriated money — which drew repeated exasperation from DeLauro, who pointed to $20 billion in cuts to NIH.
In April, HHS began laying off about 10,000 workers and consolidating 28 institutes and centers into 15 new divisions.
Including the roughly 10,000 people who have left over the last few months through early retirement or deferred resignation programs, the overall staff at HHS is expected to fall from 82,000 to around 62,000 — or about a quarter of its workforce.
Kennedy said his goal at HHS is to focus on the chronic disease epidemic and deliver effective services for those who rely on Medicare, Medicaid and other services by cutting costs to taxpayers.
“We intend to do more, a lot more with less. The budget I’m presenting today supports these goals and reflects two enduring American values, compassion and responsibility,” Kennedy said in his opening statement.
DeLauro slammed Kennedy and the Trump’s administration for the cuts to HHS, including the elimination of entire divisions.
“Mr. Secretary, you are gutting the life-saving work of the Department of Health and Human Services and its key agencies while the Republicans in this Congress say and do nothing,” DeLauro said. “Because of these cuts people will die.”
DeLauro also finished the hearing with an impassioned plea for Kennedy to stop cutting programs, telling him he does not have the authority to go against what Congress allocated in the budget.
“You do not have the authority to do what you are doing,” she said.
Kennedy defends measles outbreak response
Kennedy rebuked criticism of his agency’s response to the measles outbreak.
“We are doing a better job at CDC today than any nation in the world controlling this measles outbreak,” Kennedy said.
DeLauro hit back, saying that Kennedy’s comparison of the U.S. response to measles to the response of other countries was unfair.
“Mr. Secretary, you keep comparing the U.S. to other countries, compare us to Europe, but the Europe you are referring to is the WHO European region has 53 countries in Europe and in Asia, including those with low vaccine vaccination rates like Romania and that has never eliminated measles,” she said. “If you compare us to western Europe countries that we often compare ourselves to, like Great Britain, they have seen no measles death.”
Kennedy argued that the U.S. is doing better than other countries in the Americas with smaller populations, including Canada and Mexico.
DeLauro scolded Kennedy for promoting vaccine skepticism in the wake of a measles outbreak spreading across the U.S.
In the wake of several ongoing measles outbreaks across the U.S. and over 1,000 cases so far this year, Kennedy has shared contradicting views about vaccines.
In a post on X on April 6, Kennedy said that the “most effective way to prevent the spread of measles” is to receive the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine. However, in a post later that evening, he said more than 300 children have been treated with an antibiotic and a steroid, neither of which are recognized treatments or cures for measles.
Dentist questions Kennedy’s fluoride comments
Kennedy’s controversial moves on fluoride came up with Republican Rep. Mike Simpson, a dentist, telling Kennedy he was concerned about the secretary’s comments on it.
Last month, Kennedy said he plans to assemble a task force and ultimately change the CDC’s guidance to stop recommending adding fluoride to drinking water and other products. He has claimed that fluoride in drinking water affects children’s neurological development.
The Food and Drug Administration said it will conduct a scientific review of fluoride-containing supplements sometimes used to strengthen children’s teeth by late October with the aim of removing them from the market.
“I’ve seen the benefits having been a practicing dentist for 22 years. … You don’t prevent cavities by fluoride killing the bacteria in the mouth,” Simpson said. “What it does is make the enamel more resistant to decay. So, I want to see the studies on this and where we’re headed with this.”
Previous reviews by public health experts and dental professionals have not shown any serious health risks with the addition of fluoride.
ABC News’ Sarah Beth Hensley and Anne Flaherty contributed to this report.
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(NEW YORK) — Measles cases have reached 1,046 as the virus continues spreading across the United States, according to data updated Friday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Cases have been confirmed in 30 states including Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.
Infectious disease experts have previously said the U.S. is likely on track to surpass the 2019 total of 1,274 cases, which were confirmed over the course of a year. This year’s total also marks the second highest case count in 25 years, CDC data shows.
The CDC says 12% of measles patients in the U.S. this year have been hospitalized, the majority of whom are under age 19.
About 96% of measles cases are among those who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown, according to CDC data.
Meanwhile, 1% of cases are among those who have received just one dose of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine and 2% of cases are among those who received the recommended two doses, according to the CDC.
At least three deaths have been confirmed this year, two among children and one among an adult, all of whom were unvaccinated.
It comes as an unvaccinated traveler with measles may have exposed people at Denver International Airport and a nearby hotel, health officials said on Thursday.
The patient was in the international terminal on Tuesday, May 13, and then took a shuttle to stay at the nearby Quality Inn and Suites that night. The next day, the patient took a shuttle back to the airport and boarded a domestic flight.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment said anybody who may have been exposed on either flight will be directly notified by health officials.
Similarly, a resident of King County in Washington state traveled through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and a medical center while infectious, Public Health – Seattle & King County said on Tuesday. The individual was likely exposed to measles while recently traveling internationally.
Additionally, the New Jersey Department of Health sent out an alert that a non-resident with measles attended the Shakira concert at MetLife stadium last week, potentially exposing people.
Although the concert occurred on May 16, officials warned that people may develop symptoms as late as June 6. So far, no associated cases have been identified.
The CDC currently recommends that people receive two doses of the MMR vaccine, the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective against measles, the CDC says.
Measles was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000 due to a highly effective vaccination program, according to the CDC. But vaccination rates have been lagging in recent years.
“I think the overall and overarching worry we have is that, as vaccination rates decline, we’re starting to now see very contagious diseases such as measles come back and, generally, you need a 95% immunity wall of the population to stop an outbreak,” Dr. Scott Roberts, an assistant professor at the Yale School of Medicine and medical director of infection prevention at New Haven Hospital, told ABC News.
“There are now many areas of the U.S. where we don’t hit that 95% and it’s much lower than that, and I think we’re seeing the consequences,” he continued.
Roberts say he’s worried about misinformation that has arisen around the MMR vaccine such as a link between the vaccine and autism, which has been debunked by several high-quality studies.
“I worry that we are seeing this misinformation and parents are reading these things on the Internet, which is not based in truth,” he said. “What we try to do as health care providers and public health professionals is really just to give the right information out there that the measles vaccine is safe. It is effective and measles itself is not a run-of-the-mill cold; it can lead to these really devastating consequences if somebody’s vulnerable and gets infected.”
Dr. Karen Tachi Udoh is an internal medicine resident at Johns Hopkins Hospital and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.
Pedro Navio, North America president at Kraft Heinz, said in a statement that the company removed artificial colors, preservatives and flavors from its Kraft macaroni and cheese in 2016 and that its Heinz tomato ketchup has never had artificial dyes.
“As a food company with a 150+ year heritage, we are continuously evolving our recipes, products, and portfolio to deliver superiority to consumers and customers,” Navio’s statement read, in part. “The vast majority of our products use natural or no colors, and we’ve been on a journey to reduce our use of FD&C colors across the remainder of our portfolio. … Above all, we are focused on providing nutritious, affordable, and great-tasting food for Americans and this is a privilege we don’t take lightly.”
It comes after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled a plan in April to start phasing out eight synthetic food dyes in the American food supply.
At a news conference announcing the plan, FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said health agencies were looking to revoke authorization for two synthetic food colorings and to work with the food industry to eliminate six remaining synthetic dyes used in a variety of food products.
Kennedy said the agencies had reached an “understanding” with major food companies to voluntarily remove artificial food dyes from their products. It’s unclear what action Kennedy could take if the companies don’t comply.
Shortly after Kennedy’s announcement, PepsiCo’s CEO said on an earnings call that the company had already begun phasing out artificial colors. In-N-Out also announced in May it was removing artificial food dyes from menu items.
Other companies, like Kellogg’s, have previously stated their products are safe for consumption, and they are following federal standards set by the FDA.
Some studies have linked dyes to behavioral changes in children as well as to cancer in animals, suggesting this could extend to humans.
Some nutritionists and dietitians say that it’s best to avoid artificial food dyes, while others say more research needs to be done and the potential negative effects are still unclear.
