US to boost COVID-19 vaccine global distribution with $400M investment
“This money will speed efforts both to get shots in arms and to support vaccine manufacturing in low-and-middle-income countries,” USAID administrator Samantha Power announced Monday.
NYC vaccine mandate includes children as young as 5
Children as young as 5 years old will be required to get vaccines in New York City to enter restaurants and other indoor venues.
Vaccine inequity: Global initiative to share shots struggles to meet goal
The vaccine alliance that helps run COVAX warned in internal documents that a substantial number of doses might only show up in late 2022 or even 2023.
Pfizer asks FDA to expand emergency use of COVID-19 booster to include 16, 17-year-olds
The request comes as the world rushes to learn more about the new and highly transmissible omicron variant first discovered by South Africa.
NFL suspends Bucs' Antonio Brown, Mike Edwards for violating COVID-19 protocols
The NFL has suspended Antonio Brown and Mike Edwards of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for violating the league's COVID-19 protocols after finding they misrepresented their vaccination status.
Germany bans unvaccinated from nonessential stores, recreational venues
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said people who aren't vaccinated against COVID-19 will be excluded from nonessential stores, cultural and recreational venues.
Omicron-specific vaccine testing underway: Moderna chairman responds to first omicron variant detected in US
Moderna chairman Noubar Afeyan joined "The Claman Countdown" Wednesday shortly after the first case of the omicron variant was reportedly detected in the U.S. to express concern for the nature of the new strand.
Pentagon chief says National Guard members who refuse vaccine cannot train to maintain status
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has decided that National Guard members who refuse COVID-19 vaccination will be barred from federally funded drills and training required to maintain their Guard status, saying, "Vaccination is essential to the health and readiness of the force."
COVID-19 vaccine makers exploring if omicron versions of shots are needed
Officials from Moderna and Pfizer are assessing their responses to the new COVID-19 variant omicron and say it will take months to develop a tweaked shot if needed.
Scientists race to develop variant-proof 'super vaccine'
The potential for variants to evade current COVID-19 vaccines has scientists from Pfizer and Moderna racing to develop yet another new type of shot that many are calling a ‘super vaccine,’ which could be variant-proof.
Omicron variant: CDC expands COVID-19 booster recommendation to all adults 18 and older
"Everyone ages 18 and older should get a booster shot either when they are 6 months after their initial Pfizer or Moderna series or 2 months after their initial J&J vaccine," the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Merriam-Webster declares 'vaccine' as 2021 word of the year
Merriam-Webster has declared an omnipresent truth as its 2021 word of the year: vaccine. Last year, it chose “pandemic.”
European Union authorizes Pfizer's COVID vaccine for kids 5-11
The European Union has authorized Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine for use on children as young as 5 years old.
Child COVID-19 cases in US up 32% ahead of Thanksgiving, AAP reports
Between Nov. 11 and Nov. 18, nearly 142,000 child cases were added — an increase of about 32% from two weeks ago and making up 25.1 percent of all the cases reported that week, AAP reported.
White House: 92% of federal workers vaccinated under mandate with no apparent disruptions
On Tuesday, one day after the deadline for compliance, 92% of the 3.5 million federal workers covered by Biden’s mandate reported to the government that they are at least partially vaccinated, according to White House officials.
COVID-19 boosters: Fauci says definition of ‘fully vaccinated’ could change
The definition of being fully vaccinated could change as boosters become more widely available to adults in the U.S. but that’s only if the data shows it is necessary, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Proof of COVID-19 vaccine will be required for all US land border crossers
The rules pertain to non-U.S. nationals. American citizens and permanent residents may still enter the U.S. regardless of their vaccination status.
Federal employee vaccine mandate deadline arrives, along with confusion for Florida workers
The government's vaccine mandate for federal workers led to a much higher vaccination rate than the general population: 90% versus just under 60%. But questions remain for employees of private companies in Florida, an at-will state.
Child COVID-19 vaccines help prevent new variants, experts say
Scientists say vaccinating kids should not only slow the spread of the coronavirus but also help prevent potentially-dangerous variants from emerging. Each new infection brings another opportunity for the virus to mutate and evolve dangerous new traits.
New Florida law weakens vaccine mandates by letting workers prove immunity through prior infection
The new Florida law forces private businesses to let workers opt out of COVID-19 mandates if they can prove immunity through a prior infection. However, the CDC says unvaccinated people who had been infected months earlier are five times more likely to get infected again than fully vaccinated people who didn't have a prior infection.