Booster Shot for COVID May Eventually Be Required to Qualify as “Fully Vaccinated”
As the COVID-19 booster vaccines are being rolled out for certain groups, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that the agency is considering changing the definition of “fully vaccinated” in the near future.1 “We have not yet changed the definition of ‘fully vaccinated.’ We will continue to look at this. We […]
Two FDA Officials Resign Over White House Booster Shot Decision
Two senior officials of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have stepped down from the COVID vaccine review team at a critical time in the approval process. While the FDA did not cite a specific reason for the departure of two veteran officials, Endpoints News reports that widespread frustration in the regulatory agency began […]
FDA’s Expert Panel Recommends COVID-19 Booster Dose for Seniors and Others, Rejects Booster Dose for Children
Despite not convening the Vaccines and Related Biologic Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) last month to vote on effectiveness and safety of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (licensed under the name COMIRNATY), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) convened the advisory committee on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021 to vote on booster doses of the vaccine.1 The […]
Zoo Animals Given Experimental COVID-19 Vaccine
Zoos around the United States have begun giving animals an experimental COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by a veterinary pharmaceutical company known as Zoetis, Inc. headquartered in Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey.1 USDA Authorizes Experimental COVID-19 Vaccine for Zoo Animals Zoetis has donated 11,000 doses of the vaccine to about 70 U.S. zoos, as well as sanctuaries, universities […]
State and Local Governments and Companies Offer Incentives to Get Vaccinated for COVID-19
Story Highlights As the demand for COVID-19 vaccines slows across the country, governments and businesses are offering a wide range of incentives to try to boost vaccination rates. In addition to a variety of cash lotteries, some of the offerings include air travel, college scholarships, state park passes, fishing or hunting licenses and complimentary food […]
Millions of Americans Decline Second Dose of Experimental mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines
By the end of April 2021, more than five million people in the United States, or about eight percent of the population, had not received the second dose of the experimental mRNA Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna/NIAID COVID-19 vaccines being distributed under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).