Last Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified a new COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529, or Omicron, as a “variant of concern” following reports of cases to the WHO by South Africa. Researchers continue to study the virus mutations, its impacts on transmissibility and disease severity, and effectiveness of prior infection, vaccines, and current tests and treatments….
Read More »On Thursday, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. announced a series of new actions to protect Americans from COVID-19, including the Delta and Omicron variants, this winter. The Administration’s new actions come as additional cases of the Omicron variant continue to be identified in the U.S. and globally. The new set of actions include: Boosters for…
Read More »On Monday, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky announced the CDC has strengthened its recommendation for booster doses for individuals ages 18 and older. Per the CDC, everyone ages 18 and older should get a booster shot either when they are six months after their initial Pfizer or Moderna…
Read More »This week, Pfizer and BioNTech submitted a formal request to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to expand the emergency use authorization (EUA) of a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccination to include individuals ages 16 and 17. Currently, only people ages 18 and older are eligible for a COVID-19 booster dose in the…
Read More »The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today it is revising the current Global Testing Order to shorten the timeline required for testing for all international air travelers to one day before departure to the United States. The one-day testing policy is anticipated to help protect travelers and the health and safety…
Read More »On Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee (AMDAC) narrowly recommended that the agency issue its first emergency use authorization (EUA) for Merck’s investigational oral antiviral medication for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults with high risk of severe COVID-19 or hospitalization. The drug, molnupiravir, has been…
Read More »A new report released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) found significant increases in the use of telehealth that helped maintain access to some health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report, produced by researchers in the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), also found that…
Read More »On Monday, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released the results of a routine inspection and a complaint investigation of the Valencia Branch Laboratory (VBL), the state’s primary COVID-19 testing laboratory. The CDPH Laboratory Field Services (LFS) closed its two inspections of the VBL after multiple visits and detailed assessment of the laboratory. No…
Read More »Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended the emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines, authorizing the use of a single booster dose for all individuals 18 years of age and older after completion of the primary vaccination with any FDA-authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine. Prior to today’s announcement,…
Read More »This week, the Biden-Harris Administration announced it has secured 10 million treatment courses for Pfizer’s COVID-19 oral antiviral drug, pending an emergency use authorization (EUA) or approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The investigational drug, Paxlovid, is under development to treat non-hospitalized, symptomatic adults diagnosed with COVID-19 who are at an increased…
Read More »