Sept. 1, 2022 — A panel of advisors to the CDC today supported use of vaccines designed to target both Omicron and the older variants of the coronavirus, a step that may aid a goal of a widespread immunization campaign before winter arrives in the U.S. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 13-1 … Read more
Aug. 31, 2022 – COVID-19 booster vaccines targeting the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants currently dominating in the United States could be available in the next few days, but their arrival comes with some controversy. The FDA granted emergency approval to the mRNA boosters from Pfizer and Moderna today. Next up are meetings of the … Read more
Aug. 11, 2022 – Pregnant women should feel confident that Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines against COVID-19 are safe, according to a large new study published today. In fact, pregnant vaccinated women had lower odds of a significant health event, compared with nonpregnant vaccinated women, after both doses of either mRNA vaccination, the researchers reported in … Read more
CDC: “COVID Data Tracker.” The White House: “Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha.” Center for infectious Disease Research and Policy: “CDC: 58% of Americans have had COVID-19.” Stephen Kissler, PhD, infectious disease researcher, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston. Amesh Adalja, infectious disease specialist, Johns … Read more
July 5, 2022 – A new combination vaccinefor COVID-19 will likely be coming out this fall, offering more protection against the Omicron variants of COVID-19. Vaccine maker Moderna said in a recent news release that the new vaccine is expected to be a “lead candidate” as a booster shot in the fall. But as the … Read more
The World Health Organization on Friday called on countries in South-East Asia to accelerate COVID-19 vaccination coverage as the region again witnessing a rise in cases. While significant progress has been made in the region towards vaccinating populations against COVID-19, several countries missed the global target to fully vaccinate 70 per cent of their total … Read more
June 28, 2022 — A FDA advisory panel on Tuesday recommended updating COVID-19 booster vaccines in the United States to include an Omicron component, while also stressing the need for more information on how well these shots work on emerging strains of the virus. The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted 19-2 in … Read more
June 28, 2022 – Some important questions remain after the recent authorizations of two COVID-19 vaccines for infants, toddlers, and young children through 5 years of age. If you’re a parent or health care provider perplexed by all the nuances, you’re not alone. To answer some of those questions, infectious disease experts shared what they … Read more
June 18, 2022 — COVID-19 vaccines for children 6 months to 5 years of age are now ready to go. Centers for Disease Control Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle, Walensky, MD, has endorsed a unanimous recommendation by the agency’s vaccine panel today, allowing vaccinations to begin early this week. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices … Read more
June 15, 2022 – The benefits to America’s youngest children from COVID-19 vaccines far outweigh the negatives, an outside group of FDA advisors said Wednesday. The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted unanimously, 21-0, to recommend the use of Pfizer’s vaccines in kids 6 months through 4 years and and Moderna’s vaccine in … Read more