STAT’s Morning Rounds newsletter brings you the latest health and medicine news every weekday. This week, we’re excited to announce two new additions to our team, including D.C. reporters Chelsea Cirruzzo and Daniel Payne.
The biotech team has been reporting nonstop from the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Chicago. We’ll be following along on our social media channels and bringing you updates as the news develops.
In other news, a new study suggests that banning the addition of fluoride to water could lead to an increase in dental cavities among U.S. children. The study found that if the rest of the country follows Utah and Florida’s lead, 7.5% more kids would get cavities, affecting 25.4 million teeth.
The HHS document released this week confirms plans to slash NIH’s discretionary budget by $18 billion, an almost 40% reduction. Researchers and biopharma leaders have criticized the proposed changes, arguing they could jeopardize U.S. leadership in biomedicine.
Additionally, Moderna announced that it was canceling a contract with HHS to develop mRNA vaccines for flu strains. This move comes after the administration’s growing disdain for messenger RNA technology, which was once used to create Covid shots in record time.
The FDA approved Moderna’s new Covid-19 vaccine, but with restrictions on its use. The agency has licensed the vaccine only for people aged 65 and older or those with certain medical conditions.
Finally, a STAT essay explores the importance of emotional investment in medicine, highlighting the story of two doctors who changed the author’s life by seeing her as both a patient and a person.
Source: https://www.statnews.com/2025/06/02/health-news-moderna-covid-vaccine-doge-fluoride-ban-novavax-nih-cuts-morning-rounds