💉 Novavax hopes its COVID shot wins over FDA, vaccine holdouts

After long delays, the US Food and Drug Administration is expected to decide within weeks whether to authorize Novavax’s vaccine. However, the move for a new choice comes somewhat late in the pandemic, with about three-quarters of American adults already vaccinated.

But the company is hoping to find a niche among some of the unvaccinated millions who might agree to a more traditional kind of shot - a protein vaccine - and also to become a top choice for boosters, regardless of which type people got first. Only about half of vaccinated adults have gotten a booster. Protein vaccines have been used for years to prevent hepatitis B, shingles and other diseases.

The Novavax vaccine already is used in parts of Europe and multiple other countries, but FDA clearance is a key hurdle. And health experts are closely watching to see if a new tool offers advantages or maybe even offering somewhat broader immunity.

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🏥 Tulsa gunman targeted surgeon he blamed for pain

A man who blamed his surgeon for continuing pain after a recent back operation bought an AR-style rifle and opened fire hours later at a Tulsa medical office, killing the doctor and three other people in an attack that ended with him taking his own life, police said Thursday.

The gunman called the clinic repeatedly complaining of pain and specifically targeted and killed Dr. Preston Phillips, the doctor who performed the surgery. Dr. Stephanie Husen, receptionist Amanda Glenn and patient William Love were also killed, police said. 

Phillips was an orthopedic surgeon with an interest in spinal surgery and joint reconstruction, according to a profile on the clinic’s website. The chief identified the shooter as Michael Louis, 45, of Muskogee, Oklahoma.

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