Omicron-specific vaccine is coming but ‘may not matter—everybody’s going to be infected,’ says expert
An omicron-specific Covid vaccine will be ready by March but some experts warn it could be “too late” due to the variant’s highly transmissible nature.On Monday, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told CNBC that its vaccine with BioNTech that targets omicron — and other variants that are currently circulating — will be ready for distribution by…
CDC Finds Vaccinated People Rarely Die From Covid — Unless They Have Risk Factors
Topline Vaccinated Americans face an extremely low risk of dying from Covid-19 or developing severe illness, and most of those who do succumb to the disease have multiple underlying health conditions, according to a study released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cast as evidence that vaccines work — but which recommends…
COVID Vaccine in Pregnancy Not Tied to Adverse Outcomes
Pregnant women who received a COVID-19 vaccine faced no additional risks of adverse birth outcomes compared to those who were not vaccinated, according to a retrospective cohort study. COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy was not associated with an increased risk of preterm birth (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.91, 95% CI 0.82-1.01) or of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) at…
U.S. FDA clears Pfizer’s COVID-19 booster shot for 12-year-olds
Brendan Lo (13) receives a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at Northwell Health’s Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York, U.S., May 13, 2021. REUTERS/Shannon StapletonRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comJan 3 (Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized the use of…
Why the CDC now recommends mRNA COVID vaccines over J&J’s
The Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccines are preferred over the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to prevent COVID-19 in people 18 years of age and over, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now says. The agency’s expert vaccine panel, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, voted unanimously on Thursday to change its official recommendations.…
Two-dose vaccines induce lower antibodies against Omicron, study finds
Health workers prepare doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at an inoculation centre in Naples, Italy, January 8, 2021. REUTERS/Ciro De LucaDec 13 (Reuters) – Two-dose COVID-19 vaccine regimens do not induce enough neutralising antibodies against the Omicron coronavirus variant, British scientists found, indicating that increased infections in those previously infected or vaccinated may be…
Protection offered by booster shot beats ‘natural immunity,’ study suggests
Public health officials have been struggling to persuade eligible Americans to get their COVID-19 booster shots. New research could help them make the case that the extra dose will provide substantially more protection — even if they’ve also recovered from a coronavirus infection. A small study that’s among the first to track people’s protective antibodies…
American vaccine disinformation used as ‘Trojan horse’ for far right in New Zealand
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — When Josephine Bartley, a councilor in Auckland, New Zealand, heard that a local Covid-19 vaccination clinic had been vandalized in early November, she drove over to survey the damage. After speaking to the owners and helping them connect with local law enforcement, she noticed three men loitering near her parking spot.“Some…
Pfizer’s Covid-19 Shot Offers 100% Long-Term Protection For Young Teens, Trial Shows
Topline Pfizer and BioNTech announced Monday their jointly-developed coronavirus vaccine offered strong long-term protection against Covid-19 in teenagers aged 12 to 15, data the companies said will support planned submissions for full regulatory approval in the U.S. and around the world. Pfizer said its Covid-19 vaccine provides 100% protection in teens 12-15 AFP via Getty…
The FDA is probing whether the Moderna vaccine can cause a rare side effect in teens
The FDA review of Moderna’s application for an emergency use authorization of its coronavirus vaccine in adolescents may not be completed before January, the company said. Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images The FDA review of Moderna’s application for an emergency use authorization of its coronavirus vaccine…
Covid-19 vaccine rates for kids echo regional disparities, worrying doctors
Whether children receive a dose of a Covid-19 vaccine often depends on where they call home. About 81 percent of children ages 12-17 in Vermont have received at least one dose of vaccine to protect against Covid-19, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data analyzed by NBC News. Puerto Rico leads the U.S. with…
COVID Vaccine Makers Prepare for a Variant Worse than Delta
Pfizer’s chief executive, Albert Bourla, made a bold promise in June. Standing next to US President Joe Biden at a press conference in St Ives, UK, just before the G7 summit meeting, Bourla said that should the need arise for a new COVID-19 vaccine, his company could get one ready within 100 days. The need…
FDA says benefits outweigh risks for Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in children
Author of the article: NEW YORK — Scientists at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Friday that the likely benefits of giving the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to 5 to 11 year olds clearly outweigh the risks of rare cases of heart inflammation. Earlier on Friday, the vaccine makers said their shot showed…
Pfizer, BioNTech report high efficacy of COVID-19 booster shot in study
A woman holds a small bottle labeled with a “Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccine” sticker and a medical syringe in front of displayed Pfizer logo in this illustration taken, October 30, 2020. REUTERS/Dado RuvicBERLIN, Oct 21 (Reuters) – Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and German partner BioNTech SE (22UAy.DE) on Thursday said data from a Phase III trial demonstrated…
Miami private school orders vaccinated students to stay at home for 30 days as ‘precautionary measure’
A private school in Florida will require vaccinated students to stay home for 30 days after each COVID-19 vaccination dose they receive. “Because of the potential impact on other students and our school community, vaccinated students will need to stay at home for 30 days post-vaccination for each dose and booster they receive and may return…
Colorado woman to no longer receive kidney transplant after not getting COVID-19 vaccine
A Colorado woman will no longer be receiving a kidney transplant after she confirmed that she would not be getting the COVID-19 vaccine, violating the hospital system UCHealth’s vaccination protocol, The Associated Press reported on Friday.Leilani Lutali, a born-again Christian, told the AP she objected to the use of fetal cell lines in the development of the COVID-19…
Delta does not appear to make children sicker; Secondary immune response stronger after infection than after shot
A girl wearing a protective face mask to prevent contracting the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) rides a toy kick scooter at a park in Seoul, South Korea, April 3, 2020. REUTERS/Heo RanOct 8 (Reuters) – The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the…
Union: ‘Dozens’ of Massachusetts troopers quit following state’s vaccine mandate
A police union said that dozens of Massachusetts state troopers have quit over the state’s vaccine mandate. File Photo Matthew Healey/UPI | License Photo Sept. 27 (UPI) — A union for Massachusetts police said Monday that dozens of state troopers have quit since the state announced a COVID-19 vaccination mandate. The announcement comes more than…
America isn’t first — it’s far behind — and studies point to Republicans
Why is the U.S. falling behind the rest of the developed world in COVID-19 vaccinations? As of mid-September, according to Oxford University, 63 percent of Americans had been fully or partially vaccinated. That’s lower than Canada (75 percent), France (74), Italy (73), the U.K. (71), Israel (69), Germany (66) and Japan (66).A lot of the…