Rob Stein
Hungarian-born biochemist Katalin Karikó and American immunologist Drew Weissman found that a chemical change to genetic code called mRNA eliminated a problematic side effect when used in vaccines.
Updated versions of the mRNA vaccines roll out this week. Experts say they offer good protection against current COVID variants. Who should get them, and when’s the best time to roll up your sleeve?
The new approach would simplify vaccination guidance so that, every fall, people would get a new shot, updated to try to match whatever variant is dominant.
RSV and the flu appear to be receding in the U.S., but COVID is on the rise, new data suggests, driven by holiday gatherings and an even more transmissible omicron subvariant that has become dominant.
As the holiday approaches, infectious disease specialists are bracing for the possibility that big family get-togethers and travel will propel the spread of RSV, flu and COVID-19.
Here we go again. The virus is starting to surge in many European countries and there are early signs a wave may be starting in the U.S. too.
Biden’s comments — made as officials try to convince Americans to get a new booster shot and the White House seeks $22 billion in new COVID funding — were “unfortunate,” several epidemiologists said.
An advisory committee to the CDC has endorsed updated versions of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines that target the original coronavirus and two omicron subvariants.
The virus became the third leading cause of death in the U.S., and caused so many to die in the prime of life that the country experienced the biggest drop in life expectancy since World War II.
The Food and Drug Administration expanded authorization of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID vaccine to enable kids ages 5 to 11 who were vaccinated at least five months ago to get a third shot.
The company says a low-dose version of its vaccine triggers an immune response in children ages 6 months to less than 6 years equivalent to what has protected older children and adults.
Federal health officials are convening with outside advisers April 6 to talk about a vaccine plan, whether that’s another booster in the fall, an omicron shot or one that targets more than one strain.
People aged 50 and over could soon be eligible for a second Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID vaccine booster. The administration wants to offer the shots as immunity from the first booster is waning.
The omicron BA..2 variant spreads about 30% more easily and has caused surges in other countries. Its steady increase in the U.S. raises questions about the wisdom of rolling back COVID restrictions.
Pfizer and BioNTech are expected to file for emergency use authorization with the Food and Drug Administration as early as Tuesday.
Scientists are projecting the surge to peak in January. Just how massive it could be depends on how quickly Americans get boosted and change behavior to slow the spread.
Scientists have begun to find abnormalities in the immune systems of some long-COVID patients that might help explain the syndrome, at least in some people. But there is still much more to learn.
Some experts worry “boostermania” is distracting from the goal of getting tens of millions of unvaccinated Americans their first shots.