Top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said there was still a danger of a surge in hospitalization due to a large number of coronavirus cases even as early data suggests the Omicron COVID-19 variant is less severe.
U.S. health experts on December 30 urged Americans to prepare for severe disruptions in coming weeks as the rising wave of COVID-19 cases led by the Omicron variant threatened hospitals, schools and other sectors impacting their daily lives.
Americans vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 can be with family over the holidays but attending large gatherings is not safe, even for those who received a booster dose, top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said on December 22.
Moderna’s legal battle over who deserves credit for a crucial part of its OVID-19 vaccine was put on hold after the company abandoned the key patent application, a filing that could affect Moderna’s future distribution and profits. The company decided to drop the patent application to “allow more time for discussions with the NIH,” which will be aimed at an amicable resolution.
COVID-19 vaccine makers have contingency plans to deal with the Omicron variant that include a combination vaccine against the original version and the variant as well as a variant-specific booster dose, a top U.S. health official said on December 3.
In a rebuttal to the National Institutes of Health’s claims on its COVID-19 patents, Moderna said company scientists exclusively selected its RNA sequence. Also, the company said the sequence was selected with Moderna technology and without the input of NIH scientists.
A consumer rights advocacy group is crying foul over Moderna’s omission of government scientists in some credits for the company’s Covid-19 vaccine patent application. Moderna and scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) worked together to develop the company’s mRNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2.
Vaccines for kids between the ages of 5 and 11 will likely be available in the first half of November, top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said on Oct. 24, predicting a timetable that could see many kids getting fully vaccinated before the end of 2021.
Americans can choose a Covid-19 booster shot that is different from their original inoculation but the recommendation is to stick with the vaccine they got first if available, White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Oct. 22.
People who got Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine as a first shot had a stronger immune response when boosted with vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna, a study run by the National Institutes of Health showed on Oct. 13.