On Aug. 31, 2022, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized updated COVID-19 booster shots from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech that target the dominant BA.4 and highly contagious BA.5 coronavirus Omicron subvariants. Both modified vaccines still target the original coronavirus strain. The FDA authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech modified booster for people age 12 and older and the…
On Aug. 11, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new COVID-19 community guidance that ends or eases several key recommendations, including social distancing and quarantine. This change shows how much has changed since the pandemic began more than two years ago. The agency stated that nearly the entire U.S. population has some…
August is recognized as National Immunization Awareness Month to promote the importance of immunizations at all life stages. That makes this the perfect time to learn more about the importance of vaccines. Delaying critical vaccinations can lead to serious health risks not only for the unvaccinated but also for those they come into contact with,…
The workplace has been changing faster than anyone could have predicted. While the COVID-19 pandemic is largely responsible for these changes, various social movements and technological advancements have also played a role. Many of these changes occurred suddenly, leaving most HR professionals without time to prepare. These rapid changes created—and in some cases exposed—several workplace…
The U.S. government announced on May 16 that it has obtained the funding for another round of free COVID-19 tests for U.S. households. This is the third round of free at-home tests to become available from the federal government. The first round of free tests, which were delivered in January and February, brought four free…
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently limited the authorized use of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J)/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine to people age 18 and older for whom other vaccines aren’t appropriate or accessible and those who opt for J&J because they wouldn’t otherwise get vaccinated. This updated authorization also applies to booster doses. This change…
According to a new report, telehealth usage grew more than 7,000% during the first year of the pandemic. This is the process of communicating with a doctor via an app, or a webcam and computer. FAIR Health’s annual report studies health care indicators, prices and utilization trends. With the latest data, researchers tracked changes from…
On Thursday, April 28, 2022, Moderna announced that it is seeking emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine to be used among children ages 6 months to 5 years. The company will finish submitting data supporting its position to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by May 9. From there, the FDA is expected to…
COVID-19 cases have trended down in the United States since a peak of infections in January 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Now, health experts warn of a potential uptick of infections in the coming months due to the emergence of BA.2—a new variant of Omicron, which was the leading…
On Tuesday, March 29, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized a second booster dose of two COVID-19 vaccines for people aged 50 and older and individuals who are immunocompromised. The new boosters could be administered four months after the first booster dose. Current vaccine evidence suggests some waning of protection over time against serious…