COVID-19 Vaccine News

May 2, 2023 — The U.S. government will no longer require federal workers or international air travelers to be vaccinated for COVID-19, the Biden administration announced Monday.

April 27, 2023 — A new study shows that people with long COVID respond differently to COVID vaccines, and that the condition may be caused by a dysfunction of the immune system.

April 4, 2023 — People ages 65 and older and those with a weak immune system may choose to get a second COVID-19 booster shot starting later this spring, according to a new report.

March 29, 2023 — People who had low hopes from a COVID-19 vaccine reported more negative side effects from the shots in a study released this week.

March 29, 2023 — The CDC has updated its COVID-19 booster shot guidelines to clarify that only a single dose of the latest bivalent booster is recommended at this time.

March 21, 2023 — The FDA might be preparing to OK a second round of COVID-19 booster shots that target the original virus as well as the Omicron variant to protect people over 65 and others who are particularly vulnerable.

March 15, 2023 — COVID vaccines must work even better, whether by becoming variant-proof, finding other administration routes, or finding different targets to attack. All of these issues – and more -- are under investigation.

February 23, 2023 — In the largest and most diverse analysis to date, researchers have found that the risk of post-COVID heart attack or stroke was reduced by 41% in people who are fully vaccinated.

February 18, 2023 — A new study shows the Pfizer vaccine is safe and highly effective against COVID-19 in children as young as 6 months old.

February 17, 2023 — The natural immunity provided by COVID-19 infection protects a person against severe illness on a par with two doses of mRNA vaccine, a study published in The Lancet says.

February 16, 2023 — Moderna will join Pfizer in making its COVID-19 vaccine available for free once government coverage ends later this year, the company announced Wednesday.

February 15, 2023 — A study focusing on fatigue and other long COVID symptoms saw some differences in severity of symptoms based on COVID variants, but these differences became insignificant when researchers accounted for vaccination status. The lead researcher says this discovery suggests that vaccinations may lower the risk of long COVID.

February 14, 2023 — Vaccination appears to reduce the heightened risk of developing type 2 diabetes after a COVID-19 infection, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open.

February 13, 2023 — A new CDC study shows that people who got the updated bivalent COVID-19 booster by the end of last year were 14 times less likely to die from the disease than people who were never vaccinated, and three times less likely to die from the disease than those who got only the original vaccines.

February 7, 2023 — Vaccine hesitation is once again flying as videos depicting movement disorders go viral.

February 4, 2023 — California says it will no longer require schoolchildren to be vaccinated in order to attend in-person classes.

January 26, 2023 — New data for the bivalent COVID-19 booster shot shows that it cuts the risk in half for symptomatic infection from the now predominant Omicron subvariant, XBB.1.5.

January 26, 2023 — The FDA's vaccine advisers lent support to the agency's plan to try to simplify future COVID shots, with an aim of having many people get just one uniform dose in the fall.

January 24, 2023 — A national advisory committee is expected to vote Thursday on whether Americans should pivot to an annual COVID-19 shot (like a flu shot) vs. periodic booster shots. WebMD asks health experts your most pressing questions about a possible switch to a yearly shot.

January 23, 2023 — – U.S. health officials want to simplify the recommended COVID-19 vaccine protocol, making it more like the process for annual flu shots with a single annual shot.

January 19, 2023 — People who have been infected with COVID-19 and vaccinated against it are more likely to avoid serious illness than those who were only previously infected, a new study says.

January 17, 2023 — As more research arrives on the bivalent vaccine, an FDA expert panel prepares to discuss future plans.

January 10, 2023 — Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines increased 20% in the past year in the U.S., with 8 in 10 people now saying they have been vaccinated or are willing to do so, according to a new global survey.

January 6, 2023 — A new report shows wide racial and ethnic differences in COVID-19 vaccination of children, with Asian children being the most likely to be vaccinated and Black children being the least likely.

December 16, 2022 — The federal government wants to get more bivalent booster shots into the arms of high-risk nursing home residents as part of a winter preparedness program announced this week.

December 13, 2022 — The shots also prevented an estimated 18.5 million hospitalizations and $1.15 trillion in health care costs from December 2020 through November 2022, a report says.

December 8, 2022 — The FDA on Thursday authorized bivalent COVID-19 vaccines for children as young as 6 months old who previously received the Moderna vaccine or who have not yet completed their primary Pfizer vaccine series.

December 7, 2022 — Getting at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine decreases the chances of having symptoms beyond 3 weeks or developing long COVID, a new analysis shows.

December 5, 2022 — Pfizer and its partner BioNTech applied Monday to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization for a bivalent COVID-19 booster for children 6 months to 4 years old.

November 22, 2022 — Anthony Fauci, MD, stood at the White House press briefing podium “one last time” as he bid farewell to reporters on Tuesday ahead of stepping down as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases next month.

November 21, 2022 — Pfizer says its updated booster, which was designed to target Omicron BA.4 and BA.5, also protects against surging Omicron subvariants like BQ.1.1 and BQ.1.Bivalent boosters contains two strains of vaccine – one to protect against the original COVID-19 virus and another targeting Omicron subvariants.

November 7, 2022 — If you're among the 92% or so of Americans yet to get a bivalent COVID-19 booster, here's some news to consider. The Pfizer/BioNTech updated vaccine triggers a stronger immune response than a fourth dose of their original vaccine, the company says.

October 25, 2022 — People with side effects from their COVID vaccinations -- Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna -- tend have a better antibody response from the shots, according to new research.

October 24, 2022 — Biden, who is 1 month away from turning 80 years old, is among the age group that health officials are most hoping to persuade to boost up against COVID-19 before an anticipated uptick in cases later this year.

October 18, 2022 — Adults over 50, and particularly those over 65, should get omicron booster shots right away, the head of the White House COVID-19 task force said this week.

October 12, 2022 — Americans should get COVID-19 booster shots by Halloween to prepare the country best for the upcoming holiday season, the White House said this week.

September 28, 2022 — Some people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine have reported a temporary change in their menstrual cycles, according to a new study published in BMJ Medicine.

September 26, 2022 — Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, the two biggest COVID vaccine makers for the United States, are both seeking emergency authorization from the FDA for bivalent vaccine boosters for children.

September 24, 2022 — Under 2% of the Americans who are eligible to get the newest booster shot have not done so.

September 13, 2022 — People infected with COVID-19 after getting doubly vaccinated are associated with a 41 percent lower chance of developing long COVID symptoms, according to new study published in Britain.

September 12, 2022 — New COVID boosters that target the fast-spreading Omicron strains of the virus are rolling out this week, with the CDC recommending these so-called bivalent mRNA shots for Americans 12 and older. Here's what to know.

September 12, 2022 — Critics say COVID isn't seasonal like the flu, the virus can change rapidly, and vaccine immunity wanes. The White House suggests the updated vaccine makes an annual strategy viable.

September 7, 2022 — China and India have approved COVID-19 vaccines that can be given through the nose or mouth, which scientists hope will be a “game changer” for the pandemic.

September 6, 2022 — Barring any “pandemic curveballs,” the newly authorized combination vaccines against COVID-19 will move most eligible Americans closer to just getting a COVID-19 shot once a year -- like routine flu vaccinations -- White House and other public health officials said on Tuesday.

September 1, 2022 — CDC advisors somewhat reluctantly voted in support of new bivalent versions of COVID-19 vaccines despite a lack of clinical trial data, CDC director follows suit.

August 31, 2022 — Updated COVID vaccines are expected to be available by Labor Day, but public health experts have mixed feelings, with some citing lack of human data and others saying the need is urgent.

August 31, 2022 — The FDA on Wednesday granted emergency use authorization to Omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.

August 30, 2022 — Getting a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy doesn’t increase the risk of complications, such as a preterm birth or stillbirth, according to a new study published in BMJ.

August 24, 2022 — Americans could have different immune responses to the latest COVID-19 vaccines this fall based on how they first experienced the coronavirus.