Covid cases are rising, just as new vaccines are almost ready

Main topic: Moderna's updated COVID-19 vaccine shows efficacy against omicron subvariants. Key points: 1. Moderna's updated COVID-19 vaccine boosts neutralizing antibodies against omicron subvariants EG.5 and FL.1.5.1. 2. The booster shot is expected to be authorized and rolled out soon. 3. The preliminary trial data aims to reassure concerns about the vaccine's effectiveness against current variants.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expects updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax to be available to the public in mid-September, providing a more specific timeline for the arrival of the shots, pending approvals from the FDA and CDC.

The United States is still weeks away from distributing Covid booster shots, despite a 21.6% increase in hospitalizations related to the virus, and the effectiveness of the boosters against new virus variants remains uncertain.

An updated version of the COVID-19 vaccine designed to target the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5, known as Kraken, is expected to be released earlier than anticipated, potentially by mid-September, as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations rise across California and the US.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expects a new booster vaccine to be available next month, but its effectiveness against the highly mutated Pirola variant is uncertain.

The U.S. is experiencing a steady increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations as it enters the Labor Day weekend, with new hospital admissions expected to continue rising, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Moderna's updated Covid vaccine has shown a strong immune response against the highly mutated omicron variant BA.2.86, suggesting that the vaccine will still be effective against newer variants of the virus.

Antibodies from prior infection or existing vaccines are effective against the BA.2.86 variant, and the increase in COVID cases in the US is not driven by this variant, according to the CDC.

The US is witnessing a surge in Covid-19 cases, leading to increased demand for at-home tests, but manufacturers and major pharmacy chains say they have enough supply to meet customers' needs and there is no need to worry about potential shortages.

Two new Covid shots from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have been approved by the FDA and are expected to be available soon as cases continue to rise in some parts of the US, with preliminary research suggesting they offer protection against the dominant variant and other concerning variants.

The FDA has approved updated COVID-19 vaccine and booster shots, targeting new variants, and making them available for Americans as young as 6 months old from Moderna and Pfizer.

The US FDA has approved new COVID booster shots from Pfizer and Moderna to address the omicron subvariant XBB.1.5, which could be available in the coming days pending CDC clearance.

New variants of COVID-19 are causing an uptick in cases in the US, but it is not clear what is driving this surge and whether it will be a particularly severe season, although the majority of people who have been infected or vaccinated are experiencing mild illness, according to Shaun Truelove, an associate scientist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines, a South African pharmaceutical firm, has made significant progress in developing an mRNA vaccine against COVID-19, potentially expanding access to vaccines globally and enabling lower-income countries to produce their own mRNA vaccines.

Moderna's flu vaccine has demonstrated a stronger immune response against all strains of the influenza virus compared to traditional flu shots, potentially allowing the company to file for accelerated approval in the US by year-end and launch the vaccine for the 2024/2025 season, while also scaling down its COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing to meet lower post-pandemic demand.

Attitudes about COVID-19 vaccinations in the US are shifting, with survey results showing that about 43% of adults plan to get the latest COVID-19 vaccine, similar to the uptake of the annual flu shot, although concerns about vaccine safety still persist.

A new COVID-19 vaccine has been approved and is being distributed nationwide, with doctors and elected leaders urging everyone to get vaccinated as we head into the fall and winter months.

New COVID-19 vaccines recommended by the CDC are now available in select locations in New Jersey and will be accessible statewide in the near future, providing updated protection against the virus for individuals aged 6 months and older.

Wastewater surveillance and modeling indicate that COVID infections in the US are approaching the levels seen during the pandemic's first peak and the Delta variant peak, suggesting that the days of COVID are far from over.