Joe Palca
Stories
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Health
FDA authorizes COVID boosters for all adults
The US Food and Drug Administration has authorized COVID vaccine boosters for all adults. We look at what this means for people who are considering getting their third shot.
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Health
Pfizer and BioNTech ask FDA to authorize COVID vaccine booster for people 18+
The companies say a study of more than 10,000 volunteers showed a vaccine efficacy of 95% or greater for people receiving the booster.
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Health
Breakthrough infections might not be a big transmission risk. Here's the evidence
Are vaccinated people who get COVID as likely to spread the infection as unvaccinated people? Scientists don't think so.
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National
New antiviral drug from Merck could help reduce COVID hospitalizations and deaths
Pharmaceutical giant Merck announced promising results from a study of a new antiviral drug. Molnupiravir reduced COVID hospitalizations or death by 50% in a trial involving 775 volunteers.
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Health
The Pfizer Booster Shot Is Only Being Recommended For People 65 And Over
A Food and Drug Administration panel voted against giving most Americans a third Pfizer vaccine despite President Biden's plan to provide a COVID-19 booster to anyone over the age of 16.
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National
FDA Advisers Endorse Pfizer COVID Booster Only For Those 65 And Over Or At Risk
An independent committee of experts has recommended that the Food and Drug Administration should not allow Pfizer to provide a third dose of its COVID-19 vaccine to Americans older than 16.
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Health
A Decision About Booster Shots For Fight COVID Could Be Coming Soon
The committee of independent experts advising the FDA on vaccines meets Friday. They'll be considering Pfizer's application to start offering COVID-19 vaccine boosters to all Americans older than 16.
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National
Pfizer Wants To Offer A 3rd COVID Vaccine Dose. Here Are The Pros And Cons
Pfizer is seeking the FDA's permission to offer a third COVID-19 vaccine dose to those 16 and older. There's data that the vaccine's efficacy is waning and evidence that a booster can reverse that.
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Science
A Texas Lab Performs Crucial Testing For Pfizer's COVID Vaccine
The lab has access to a high-security facility that Pfizer needed to prove its COVID-19 vaccine was working. Now the scientists there are testing the vaccine's effectiveness against viral variants.
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Health
The White House May Recommend COVID-19 Booster Shots
The Biden administration is close to advising fully vaccinated Americans to get COVID-19 booster shots after eight months, according to a source familiar with the discussions.