The Hill (January 20, 2022) – Nearly 1 million children were infected with COVID-19 in the last week according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, four times the rate of the peak of last winters’ surge. The Hill adds, for the week ending Jan. 13, more than 981,000 child COVID-19 cases were reported, a 69 […]

Medscape (Jan. 14th, 2022) – Nearly all teenagers admitted to intensive care units because of COVID-19 were unvaccinated, according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Two doses of the vaccine “were highly effective against COVID-19–related hospitalization and ICU admission or the receipt of life support,” the authors of the […]

Medscape (Jan. 14th, 2022) – The U.S. health care industry was already stretched thin by two years of the COVID-19 pandemic when the Omicron variant struck. As hospitals fill with patients again, experts and workers say damage to the industry may be long-lasting. A record 1.34 million COVID cases were reported in the United States […]

The Wall Street Journal (Jan 4th, 2022) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that many children with weakened immune systems get a booster from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE four weeks after their second shot. The agency issued the recommendation for moderately and severely immunocompromised children 5 to 11 years. CDC Backs […]

FDA (Jan. 7th, 2022) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine to shorten the time between the completion of a primary series of the vaccine and a booster dose to at least five months for individuals 18 years of age and older. Coronavirus (COVID-19) […]

FDA (Jan. 03, 2022) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to: Expand the use of a single booster dose to include use in individuals 12 through 15 years of age. Shorten the time between the completion of primary vaccination of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 […]

TIME (Jan. 7th, 2022) – Hospitalizations of U.S. children under 5 with COVID-19 soared in recent weeks to their highest level since the pandemic began, according to government data released Friday on the only age group not yet eligible for the vaccine. https://time.com/6137814/covid-hospitalizations-us-children/   

The Washington Post (Dec. 28th, 2021) – Federal health officials on Monday shortened the recommended time Americans infected with the coronavirus should isolate from 10 days to five if they are asymptomatic — a decision they said was driven by a growing body of research about when people are most infectious. CDC cuts isolation time recommended for […]

The Hill (Dec. 24, 2021) – Short-staffed children’s hospitals were slammed with increased emergency department visits for mental health, suicide and self-injury cases in the first nine months of 2021 compared to the same period last year. Officials warn children’s mental health worsens amid pandemic | TheHill

The Washington Post (Dec. 24, 2021) – Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania and New York have been hit particularly hard. As of Thursday, there were 1,987 confirmed or suspected pediatric covid-19 patients hospitalized nationally, a 31 percent jump in 10 days, according to a Washington Post analysis. Omicron and children: Pediatric hospitals in parts of U.S. filling […]

HealthDay (12/10) reported that “nearly half of 12- to 17-year-olds in the United States have had at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot, but the initial rush to get teens immunized has stalled,” according to a Kaiser Family Foundation report. Just “1% of parents now plan to get their teen vaccinated as soon as possible; 13% […]

CNN (12/15) reports that US health officials are bracing for a trio of public health concerns this winter: more infections from the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, surging infections with the Delta variant, and a “slow but steady” comeback of the flu. There is growing concern that a rise in Omicron cases, paired with climbing […]

The Hill (12/16) reports that Pfizer and BioNTech announced on Thursday evening that they had submitted an application to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking full approval for the administration of their two-dose COVID-19 vaccine in children aged between 12 and 15. The companies said in a release that their application included follow-up data […]

Members of the Pennsylvania Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee met Thursday evening and unanimously passed the following resolution calling for the immediate closure of all schools and non-essential services as part of a massive public health measure to stop the spread of COVID. Pennsylvania educators call for immediate closure of schools to stop the spread of […]

Hospitals are reporting very long emergency-room wait times, while staffing shortages in nursing homes are forcing some to stop accepting new residents. Pennsylvania asks FEMA for help with surge in COVID-19 cases (wtae.com)

FDA authorizes Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine booster shots for 16- and 17-year-olds amid omicron threat – The Washington Post

Even as antibody levels against the variant wane, the immune system may still be primed by vaccines or previous infections to “remember” the virus. Omicron vs. T cells: Why scientists are banking on the immune system’s ‘memory’ (nbcnews.com)

Federal regulators Thursday authorized booster shots of Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine for 16- and 17-year-olds, a step that officials said would bolster protection against delta, the variant behind surging infections in parts of the United States, and could help tame the emerging omicron version.

The New York Times reports that the country has increased its genomic surveillance to try to track Omicron’s spread, but the true number of cases is likely far higher. New York State is making masking mandatory at businesses and venues that don’t require proof of vaccination. Covid News: C.D.C. Reports 43 Cases, No Deaths, in […]

From HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP/KDKA) — The Republican-controlled Pennsylvania Senate approved legislation Monday to prevent school children from being required to get a COVID-19 vaccination to attend school, although it likely faces a veto by Gov. Tom Wolf. Pennsylvania Senate Passes Legislation To Prevent Schools From Requiring Students To Get COVID-19 Vaccine    

BY AMY MITCHELL AND JACOB LIEDKE About four-in-ten Americans say social media is an important way of following COVID-19 vaccine news

The New York Times (7/28) reports that while Pfizer said on Wednesday that the efficacy of its two-dose COVID-19 vaccine declines slightly over time, it nonetheless provides “lasting and robust protection against serious disease.” However, Pfizer “suggested that a third shot could improve immunity,” but the Times says that “whether boosters will be widely needed […]

ABC News (7/29) reports, “With the COVID-19 delta variant surge once again prompting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to recommend masks indoors for teachers and other vaccinated school employees, many parents are left wondering if the new landscape of the pandemic means it’s safe for their still-unvaccinated young children to return to school […]

Reuters (7/29) reports the CDC “said on Thursday that 69.3% of U.S. counties had transmission rates of COVID-19 high enough to warrant indoor masking in public spaces and should immediately resume the policy.” That figure represents an increase from 66.6% on Wednesday. Overall, “52.2% of U.S. counties have high COVID-19 community transmission rates and 17.1% […]

Forbes (7/29) reports, “While it is still extremely rare for children to become seriously ill or die from COVID-19,” some “major children’s hospitals in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Florida – states that have been battling a broader increase in hospitalizations – all said this week they have more children in their care than at any […]