( February 18, 2026, 8:11 AM EST) -- WASHINGTON, D.C. — A District of Columbia federal judge dismissed without prejudice a lawsuit brought by more than 200 individuals whose family members were treated during the COVID-19 pandemic with and allegedly died as a direct result of certain countermeasures such as hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, ruling that the family members had not plausibly alleged that the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was applying an incorrect standard for eligibility for Countermeasure Injury Compensation Program (CICP) benefits....