Tag Archives: COVID Vaccine

Pentagon Furious Over Looming Vax Mandate Repeal

The Washington Post reports: The looming reversal — spurred by Republicans who had threatened to block passage of the $858 billion spending bill if the mandate wasn’t struck down — creates a rat’s nest for the Pentagon. Commanders whose job it was to enforce the mandate will face the onerous task of assessing whether — and how — to allow …

Read More »

Only 5% Of Americans Have Gotten Latest Vax Booster

Politico reports: The Biden administration is racing against the dropping temperatures to convince more Americans to get the updated Covid-19 booster shot amid low uptake numbers driven by confusion over the shot, declining cases and profound pandemic fatigue. By the end of last week, the administration expected between 13 and 15 million people out of 283.4 million Americans aged 12 …

Read More »

NYC To End Vaccine Mandate For Private Employees

The New York Daily News reports: The city’s coronavirus vaccine mandates for private sector workers and student athletes are ending, but the inoculation requirement for municipal workers will remain — at least for the time being. Mayor Adams announced the roll back Tuesday at a City Hall press conference, stressing the need for New Yorkers to get their COVID booster …

Read More »

FDA Okays Pfizer And Moderna Anti-Omicron Boosters

CBS News reports: The Biden administration’s planned fall COVID-19 booster campaign cleared a key regulatory hurdle, after the Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday it has authorized updated shots adapted for the Omicron variant of the virus for Americans as young as 12 years old. People could get the new booster as little as 2 months after their last shot …

Read More »

Moderna Sues Pfizer For mRNA Patent Infringement

Bloomberg Law reports: Moderna Inc. said it’s suing Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, claiming the technology in the partners’ Covid-19 shot infringes on its patents, a move that sets the stage for a massive legal clash between the three vaccine titans. Moderna, in a statement Friday, accused Pfizer and BioNTech of violating intellectual property protecting key elements of Moderna’s messenger …

Read More »

CDC Director Outlines Plan To Overhaul Agency

The New York Times reports: Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on Wednesday delivered a sweeping rebuke of her agency’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, saying it had failed to respond quickly enough and needed to be overhauled. In a meeting with senior staff, Dr. Walensky outlined in broad terms a plan …

Read More »

CDC Ends COVID Quarantine, Testing Recommendations

The Associated Press reports: The nation’s top public health agency relaxed its COVID-19 guidelines Thursday, dropping the recommendation that Americans quarantine themselves if they come into close contact with an infected person. The CDC also said people no longer need to stay at least 6 feet away from others. The changes, which come more than 2 1/2 years after the …

Read More »

Biden Admin To Offer Updated Booster In September

The New York Times reports: The Biden administration now expects to begin a Covid-19 booster campaign with retooled vaccines in September because Pfizer and Moderna have promised that they can deliver doses by then, according to people familiar with the deliberations. With updated formulations apparently close at hand, federal officials have decided against expanding eligibility for second boosters of the …

Read More »

FDA Authorizes Novavax’s Two-Dose COVID Vaccine

CNBC reports: The Food and Drug Administration has authorized Novavax’s two-dose vaccine for adults ages 18 and over, the fourth Covid shot to get emergency approval in the U.S. since the pandemic began. The FDA decision comes weeks after its committee of independent vaccine experts voted overwhelming in favor of Novavax’s shot in early June, after an all-day public meeting …

Read More »

NYC Issues Mask Advisory As Cases Surge Once Again

New York City’s CBS affiliate reports: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says COVID is a concern in New York City. All five boroughs have a “high” community level and that’s prompting local health officials to recommend New Yorkers wear masks again. The city is up to a 15.4 percent positivity rate. But going back to wearing masks might …

Read More »

Florida Ousts Pro-Vax Pediatrician From State Board

Florida Politico reports: Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis is pushing out a pediatrician from a board in charge of running the state’s Healthy Kids program because of her viewpoints on vaccines for children under five. Patronis’ office notified Dr. Lisa Gwynn [photo], who is also serving as the president of the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, …

Read More »

Study: COVID Vaccines Saved 20M Lives In First Year

The Associated Press reports: Nearly 20 million lives were saved by COVID-19 vaccines during their first year, but even more deaths could have been prevented if international targets for the shots had been reached, researchers reported Thursday. The effort, though marred by persisting inequities, prevented deaths on an unimaginable scale, said Oliver Watson of Imperial College London, who led the …

Read More »

Florida Grocer Won’t Offer COVID Vax To Youngest Kids

The Tampa Bay Times reports: Since COVID-19 vaccines first became available, Publix has played a major role in tackling the public health emergency in Florida by offering vaccines to adults and, later, children as young as 5. But the Lakeland grocery company says it will not offer the vaccine approved for children ages 4 and under “at this time.” Spokesperson …

Read More »

Fauci Tests Positive For COVID, Has Mild Symptoms

CNBC reports: Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leader of the U.S. government’s Covid pandemic response effort, has tested positive for the coronavirus. Fauci, who is fully vaccinated and twice boosted against Covid, is experiencing mild symptoms, according to a statement Wednesday from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which he leads. “Dr. Fauci will isolate and continue to work …

Read More »

AP: New Vax May Be Acceptable To Military Refusers

The Associated Press reports: The Novavax vaccine may be an acceptable option for some of the 27,000 service members who have sought religious exemptions from the mandatory vaccine. Military officials say many troops who refuse the shots cite certain COVID-19 vaccines’ remote connection to abortions. Laboratory-grown cell lines descended from fetuses that were aborted decades ago were used in some …

Read More »

FDA Advisors Recommend Fourth COVID Vaccine

The Washington Post reports: A panel of independent vaccine experts recommended Tuesday that the Food and Drug Administration authorize a coronavirus vaccine developed by the Maryland biotechnology company Novavax, paving the way for the fourth shot in the United States. The experts’ vote was 21 in favor of authorizing the Novavax vaccine, with one abstention. But it remained unclear when …

Read More »

CDC: Over 80M COVID Vax Doses Wasted So Far In US

NBC News reports: Pharmacies, states, U.S. territories and federal agencies discarded 82.1 million Covid vaccine doses from December 2020 through mid-May — just over 11 percent of the doses the federal government distributed, according to data the CDC shared with NBC News. Two retail pharmacy chains, CVS and Walmart, were responsible for over a quarter of the doses thrown away …

Read More »

STUDY: Two Million In UK Suffering From Long COVID

The Guardian reports: Two million people in the UK are thought to be living with long Covid, data has revealed, the highest figure since official surveys began.While Covid can cause a period of acute illness, some people continue to experience symptoms, such as breathlessness, muscle aches and fatigue, for months or even years – a condition that has been labelled …

Read More »

Novavax Seeks FDA Approval For Its COVID Vaccine

Axios reports: As one of America’s first big bets under Operation Warp Speed, Novavax’s COVID vaccine is notably late to the party as the Maryland biotech seeks a potential FDA emergency use authorization for its COVID shot. But company leaders say they see a clear runway to market success for its protein-based product — not only as a booster for …

Read More »

Fauci: Annual COVID Vax Boosters Likely From Now On

The New York Daily News reports: The persistence of the virus means yearly vaccine booster shots could be in store for everyone, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House chief medical adviser, told PIX 11 in an interview. “We’re going to be dealing with this virus on a chronic basis,” Fauci said. “We really hope … it will reach a level …

Read More »