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Pfizer Again Asks FDA to Authorize COVID Shots for Kids Under 5
Pfizer-BioNTech said Wednesday that it asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to authorize its COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 months to 4 years — the only group that remains ineligible for vaccination.
The request will be now considered by the FDA, which will review the data and could grant emergency use authorization for the age group later this month.
The FDA’s advisory group, called the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, is scheduled to convene on June 15 to offer guidance on the pediatric doses.
More Than Two-thirds of People Have COVID Antibodies, WHO Says
More than two-thirds of the world’s population probably have significant levels of COVID-19 antibodies, meaning they have either been infected or were vaccinated, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
So-called seroprevalence rates surged to 67% in October from 16% in February 2021, the WHO said, in a summary of studies from around the globe. Given the emergence of the fast-spreading omicron variant, the figure is probably even higher now.
The WHO’s roundup offers a snapshot of how well the world is increasing resistance to the pandemic. While vaccines provide only modest protection against infection from omicron, the WHO still urged countries to boost vaccination rates, especially for people in high-risk groups, because immunization gives higher levels of protection against severe disease than a previous COVID infection.
Local Governments Turn Away $73 Million in Federal Pandemic Aid
From small towns to big cities, every government across the U.S. was offered a slice of $350 billion in federal coronavirus relief funds to help shore up their finances, cover pandemic-related costs and invest in community projects.
Officials in 1,468 local governments effectively said “no,” turning away a potential total of $73 million, according to an Associated Press analysis of data compiled from every state. The declined money ranged from $177 for the one-person village of Monowi, Nebraska, to $3.9 million for DeWitt County, Texas, population about 20,000.
The city of West Alton, Missouri — a community of more than 500 at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers — turned down a potential $106,341 in federal aid. Though the rejected amount was almost half the size of the city’s budget, there wasn’t much discussion about accepting it during a city council meeting.
Older Americans Bore Brunt of COVID Deaths During the Omicron Wave
From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the elderly have borne the brunt of the virus’ deadly wrath.
Now, newly updated federal data shows that despite widespread vaccination among seniors, virus death rates among older Americans surged to near-record levels during the first omicron wave.
Over 90% of seniors have been fully vaccinated, but about 30% of those fully vaccinated have yet to receive their first booster shot. To date, just under 10 million Americans 65 and older have received their second booster — representing about 28.5% of those who had already received their first shot.
COVID Infection Risk Lower for Those With Food Allergies, Study ‘Unexpectedly’ Finds
A new study “unexpectedly” found the risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 is lower for those with food allergies.
The research sought to determine whether asthma and allergic diseases — including food allergies, allergic rhinitis and eczema — were linked to COVID-19 infection, according to the Human Epidemiology and Response to SARS-CoV-2 (HEROS) study. These conditions were self-reported by participants and diagnosed by doctors.
In fact, people with food allergies are 50% less likely to develop COVID-19, according to the research, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health and published May 31 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Dogs May Be Better at Detecting COVID-19 Than Nasal PCR Tests, Study Finds
Trained dogs may be able to detect COVID-19 more effectively than nasal swab PCR tests, according to new research.
A study published on Wednesday by the peer-reviewed Plos One journal found that canines were able to better detect the presence of COVID than PCR antigenic tests in both symptomatic and asymptomatic people.
In the study, trained dogs were able to detect COVID in 97% of symptomatic cases and nearly 100% of asymptomatic cases.
Peter Hotez Says His Recent COVID Case Shows Just How Transmissible Subvariant BA 2.12 Is
The Houston Chronicle reported:
Three weeks ago, Dr. Peter Hotez announced he’d tested positive for COVID-19.
Hotez — dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children’s Hospital — has been among the more public faces providing information over the past two-plus years.
Hotez admitted that having been vaccinated and boosted, he started venturing back to public events, and his number finally came up.
