epidemics

The chief medical officer of BioNTech told CNBC that people will likely need a third shot of its two-dose Covid-19 vaccine as immunity against the virus wanes.

The FDA said a Baltimore plant that ruined millions of Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine doses was unsanitary and unsuitable to manufacture the shots.

J&J’s financial results come as the company’s Covid-19 vaccine has been put on pause in the United States.

Dr. Carlos Del Rio explains what the U.S. needs to do in order to see Covid cases dramatically drop in May.

U.S. officials have confirmed fewer than 6,000 cases of Covid-19 in fully vaccinated Americans, just 0.007% of the 84 million Americans with full protection.

J&J asked Covid vaccine rivals Pfizer and Moderna to join a study looking into the potential risk of blood clots, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The Biden administration is preparing for the potential need for Covid-19 vaccine booster shots, though nothing is certain, a top U.S. official said.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said earlier this month hospitals are seeing more younger adults admitted with Covid-19 as more contagious variants spread.

Merck announced Thursday it will end the development of its experimental drug for patients hospitalized with severe Covid-19.

A CDC panel on Wednesday postponed a decision on J&J’s Covid vaccine while it investigates cases of six women developing a rare blood-clotting disorder.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will review data on the women who developed a rare blood-clotting disorder.

Jeff Zients said the FDA’s recommended pause on J&J’s vaccine would not have a “significant impact” on the administration’s vaccination program.

Dr. Fauci said the pause will give U.S. health regulators the time they need to thoroughly investigate how six women developed a rare blood clotting disorder.

Dr. Ashish Jha explains the impact of temporarily pausing use of the J&J Covid vaccine, and why he thinks it may bolster confidence in Covid vaccines.

Moderna said Tuesday that new data shows its vaccine is more than 90% effective at protecting against Covid-19 up to six months after the second dose.

The warning from U.S. officials to states is likely to fuel more hesitancy in taking J&J’s shot and other vaccines, threatening to stall the pandemic recovery.

The FDA and CDC are holding a joint press briefing on the J&J vaccine.

Maria Van Kerkhove, the agency’s technical lead for Covid-19, said “we’re in a critical point of the pandemic.”

The state health department is tracking 991 Covid outbreaks across Michigan, Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun said.

Regeneron said a phase three clinical trial of the drug reduced the risk of symptomatic infections in individuals by 81%.