FDA advisors recommend Pfizer RSV vaccine for older adults, despite possible Guillain-Barre risks
The vote followed concerns at the FDA and among advisory committee members about two cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome among about 20,000 vaccine recipients. The FDA has asked Pfizer to conduct a safety study on Guillain-Barre syndrome, which the company has agreed to do. There currently is no approved RSV vaccine for the elderly. Pfizer's vaccine contains both strains of RSV, which circulate at the same time during fall and winter. Dr. David Kaslow, a senior official in the FDA's vaccine division, said safety monitoring will be "critically important" if Pfizer's RSV vaccine is approved.
cnbc.comEdinburg Chamber, DHR Health to host COVID-19 vaccine clinic
For those who wish to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, now is your chance. The Edinburg Chamber of Commerce is partnering with DHR Health to host a vaccination clinic Thursday, Feb. 23 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the clinic, which will be held at the Edinburg Chamber located at 602 W. University Drive. Pfizer and Moderna Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines will be available to everyone including children over 6 months old. Those who wish to receive a booster must have proof of a prior COVID-19 vaccination and must have a two-month span from the previous dose. For more information one can call (956) 362-6843.
myrgv.comNOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn't happen this week
None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. CLAIM: House Republicans are requiring Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland, to remove the headwear he’s donned on the House floor while undergoing chemotherapy. THE FACTS: Republicans have made no such request and have in fact been nothing but supportive, a spokesperson for Raskin told the AP.
news.yahoo.comFDA advisors recommend replacing original Covid vaccine with bivalent omicron shots for all doses
The Food and Drug Administration's independent advisory committee on Thursday unanimously recommended replacing Pfizer and Moderna's original Covid vaccine used in the U.S. for everyone's first two immunizations with the new bivalent omicron shots. Instead, the drugmakers' bivalent omicron shots that target the omicron BA.5 subvariant as well as the original strain would be used for the entire vaccination series. Currently, Pfizer's and Moderna's omicron shots are only authorized as a booster, while the first two doses are still their old shots based on the original Covid strain. The FDA has proposed moving to a system that resembles how the agency updates and rolls out flu shots every year. The agency would select a Covid vaccine formulation in June to target the variant that is expected to dominate in the fall and winter.
cnbc.comOmicron booster shots provide some protection against mild illness from Covid XBB subvariants, CDC says
The CDC study published Wednesday provides the first estimate of the omicron shots' real-world effectiveness against the XBB family of subvariants. For people ages 18 to 49, the omicron booster reduced the risk of mild illness by about 48% two to three months after receiving the shot. The shots provided 38% protection against mild illness for those ages 50 to 64 and 42% protection for people ages 65 and older, according to the study. They had very little protection against mild illness due to waning immunity observed with the old vaccines, Link-Gelles said. It's too early to draw conclusions about how the protection from the omicron boosters holds up over time, she said.
cnbc.comElon Musk casts doubt on whether a 2nd COVID booster helps or hurts. Here’s what studies show.
Twitter owner and CEO Elon Musk waded into a discussion about COVID-19 boosters in a tweet on Wednesday, with the billionaire claiming that it “isn’t clear whether, all things considered, a second booster helps or hurts.”
news.yahoo.comEU regulator clears Pfizer-BioNTech's tweaked COVID booster
The European Medicines Agency has recommended the authorization of a tweaked booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine that includes protection against two of the latest versions of omicron, as countries look to bolster their immunization programs ahead of winter.
Questions about new COVID-19 recommendations, vaccines and boosters? University Health epidemiologist has answers
University Health director of hospital epidemiology Dr. Jason Bowling answers some of the most frequently asked questions about COVID-19, boosters, new vaccines and new CDC recommendations.
Texans have been slow to vaccinate their youngest against COVID-19, but they’re slightly ahead of the national average
For some parents of kids under 5 who want to vaccinate them, the wait has been excruciating, fraught with delays and close calls. Others are hesitant to have their young children vaccinated.