Biotechnology
Omicron boosters should provide better protection against infection and serious illness, U.S. health officials say
U.S. health officials expect new omicron boosters will provide better protection against infection and serious illness this fall because the new shots now match the dominant coronavirus variant. The new omicron shots mark a milestone in the pandemic that will help the U.S. more effectively fight the virus, White House Covid response coordinator Dr. Ashish […]
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New omicron boosters are now available, but it’s unclear how effective they will be
The U.S. authorized the first major makeover of the Covid-19 vaccines this week in an effort to stem an expected tide of infections and hospitalizations this fall. But it’s unclear how much protection the new booster shots will provide. The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cleared the shots […]
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CDC panel recommends new omicron Covid boosters with shots expected to begin next week
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s independent committee on vaccines recommended reformulated booster shots that target the latest omicron subvariants. The panel voted 13 to 1 Thursday in favor of the shots after reviewing the available safety and effectiveness data in an almost seven-hour-long meeting. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle […]
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U.S. health officials brace for another fall Covid surge, but with fewer deaths
People walk past a COVID-19 walk up testing site on July 28, 2022 in New York City. Liao Pan | China News Service | Getty Images Fall is on the horizon and public health officials are again bracing for another wave of Covid cases. Over the past two years, fall and winter have brought devastating […]
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FDA authorizes Covid booster shots that target omicron BA.5 variant
A medical staff prepares a booster dose of Pfizer’s coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine are seen at a vaccination centre in Brussels, Belgium, January 5, 2022. Yves Herman | Reuters The Food and Drug Administration authorized Covid booster shots that target the omicron BA.5 subvariant as the U.S. prepares for another surge of infections this fall […]
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CDC cautiously optimistic that monkeypox outbreak might be slowing as cases fall in major cities
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is cautiously optimistic that the U.S. is slowing the spread of monkeypox, as new cases fall in several major cities. “We’re watching this with cautious optimism, and really hopeful that many of our harm reduction messages and our vaccines are getting out there and working,” CDC Director Dr. […]
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A dog in France has monkeypox, worrying scientists that we won’t be able to eradicate the virus if it spreads to more animals
Monkeypox virus, illustration. Thom Leach | Science Photo Library | Getty Images In 2003, 47 people across six Midwestern states caught monkeypox from pet prairie dogs that were infected after they were housed with rodents imported from Ghana, Africa. Today’s outbreak, which has already infected more than 14,100 people in the U.S. and more than […]
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Musk techniques mind chip startup Synchron about deal amid Neuralink delays, sources say
Neuralink symbol shown on a mobile phone display screen and Elon Musk’s Twitter account displayed on a screen in the background are found in this illustration photo taken in Poland on April 24, 2022. Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty Pictures Elon Musk has approached brain chip implant developer Synchron about a probable investment as […]
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U.S. to provide 50,000 monkeypox vaccines for Pride and other events with high attendance by gay men
The U.S. will provide 50,000 monkeypox vaccine doses specifically for large events with high attendance by gay and bisexual men in an effort to better reach the community most at risk right now, health officials said Thursday. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said communities hosting Pride and other […]
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Childhood polio vaccination rate is dangerously low in some New York communities, increasing the risk of an outbreak
Nurse Lydia Fulton prepares to administer the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine as well as a vaccine used to help prevent the diseases of diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, and polio at Children’s Primary Care Clinic in Minneapolis, MN. Courtney Perry | The Washington Post | Getty Images The childhood polio vaccination rate is as low […]
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