President Joe Biden on May 12 commemorated the death of 1 million people in the United States from COVID-19, marking what he called “a tragic milestone” and urging Americans to “remain vigilant” amid the ongoing pandemic.

Moderna, COVID-19 vaccine

Moderna Inc. has made all necessary submissions required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization of the company’s COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents and children.

Current COVID-19 booster shots have a problem: they last only about four months and appear to have limited efficacy in a vaccinated population. Clearly, a more durable, more efficacious vaccine is needed, but what should it be? The scientific community has not reached a consensus, according to BioSpace.

COVID-19 vaccine makers are shifting gears and planning for a smaller, more competitive booster shot market after delivering as many doses as fast as they could over the last 18 months.

Valneva

Valneva said on May 4 the French drugmaker will conduct a trial about the use of the company’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate VLA2001 as a booster jab following a mRNA vaccination or natural infection.

Moderna

Moderna Inc. on May 4 forecast higher vaccine sales for the second half of 2022 than in the first six months of the year, as the company expects the virus that causes COVID-19 to follow a more seasonal pattern requiring booster shots in the fall.

Asthma in children may worsen after an infection with the coronavirus, doctors warn. Additionally, among people who were previously infected with the coronavirus, a third dose of an mRNA vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna may not boost their protection against the Omicron variant of the virus, according to new data.

Moderna Inc.’s chief medical officer said on Sunday the company’s vaccine for children under 6 years old will be ready for review by a Food and Drug Administration panel when it meets in June.

Two new sublineages of the Omicron coronavirus variant can dodge antibodies from earlier infection well enough to trigger a new wave, but are far less able to thrive in the blood of people vaccinated against COVID-19, South African scientists found.

The Rockefeller Foundation announced the launch of the Global Vaccination Initiative, a $55 million investment over two years to support country-led efforts to fully vaccinate 90% of the most at-risk populations in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.