Covid-19 has infected more than 408M people and killed over 5.8M worldwide. Here are some of the latest coronavirus-related developments:
Saturday, February 12, 2022
US puts brakes on Covid shots for kids under 5
Covid-19 vaccinations for children under five years old have hit another months-long delay as US regulators abruptly put the brakes on their efforts to speed review of the shots that Pfizer is testing for youngsters.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), worried about the Omicron variant’s toll on kids, had taken the extraordinary step of urging Pfizer to apply for OK of the extra-low dose vaccine before it’s clear if tots will need two shots or three. The agency’s plan could have allowed vaccinations to begin within weeks.
But Friday, the FDA reversed course and said it had become clear the agency needed to wait for data on how well a third shot works for the youngest age group.
Pfizer has said that it expected the data by early April.
South Korea registers record high 54,941 cases
South Korea reported a daily record high of 54,941 new coronavirus cases for Friday, bringing its total infections to 1,294,205 with 7,045 deaths among its 52 million people, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Saturday.
Pfizer, Moderna boosters’ efficacy drop by 4th month – study
The efficacy of third doses of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines wanes substantially by the fourth month after administration, a new study by the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.
Though it’s now well documented that vaccine efficacy goes down after two doses, relatively little has been published on the duration of protection after a booster.
The new study was based on more than 241,204 visits to the emergency department or an urgent care clinic, and 93,408 hospitalizations, which are more serious, among adults with Covid-19–like illness during August 26, 2021–January 22, 2022.
According to the study, vaccine efficacy against hospitalisation was 91 percent in the first two months, but fell to 78 percent by the fourth month after a third dose.
China ‘conditionally’ allows Pfizer pill – regulator
China has said it had given “conditional” approval for Pfizer’s Covid-19 drug Paxlovid to treat adults with mild to moderate illness and a high risk of developing severe disease.
The National Medical Products Administration said further research on the drug needed to be undertaken and submitted to the regulator.
Source: TRTWorld and agencies
US puts brakes on Covid shots for kids under 5 – latest updates
Source: Pinay Pop Showbiz
