In the News

As the US prepares to enter into its third winter season dealing with COVID-19, an unanswered question—first asked back in the earliest days of the pandemic—remains: When will it be over? Unfortunately, the answer may be "never"—many experts no longer believe the virus will ever be eradicated, and instead, will become an endemic disease.

A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted unanimously, with one abstention, that the vaccine’s benefits in preventing COVID-19 in that age group outweigh any potential risks. That includes questions about a heart-related side effect that’s been very rare in teens and young adults despite their use of a much higher vaccine dose.

Millions of Americans can now opt for an extra shot of protection against COVID-19, regardless of the vaccine they initially received.
 

Long COVID has been used to refer to a range of new, returning, or ongoing symptoms after initial COVID-19 infection. This month, the WHO has published an official definition of post-COVID-19 to advance research and help diagnose individuals.
 

VERIFY experts say it's perfectly fine to get a COVID shot or booster together with other routine vaccines, like influenza.
 

The Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine appears poised to become available to children 5 to 11 years old within weeks, after a Food and Drug Administration review found the benefits of the shot outweigh the risks in most scenarios, with the possible exception of when there are very low levels of viral transmission.

Maryland health officials and pharmacies say they’re prepared to follow new federal approvals for coronavirus vaccines that will allow more people to get booster shots.
 

If there are no bumps along the way, Pfizer/BioNTech could get emergency use authorization for the younger group of kids in the first two weeks of November. 

This year, doctors are highlighting the importance of vaccination for all eligible people. Being fully immunized against the coronavirus protects against contracting the virus, and significantly lowers the risk of severe illness or death.
 

The White House laid out plans Wednesday for children between the ages of 5 and 11 to soon receive the COVID-19 vaccine. If approved, shots could begin as soon as November.
 

The US Food and Drug Administration authorized booster doses of Covid-19 vaccines made by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson Wednesday and also said any of the three authorized vaccines could be used as a booster in a "mix and match" approach.
 

When it comes to convincing parents to get their children vaccinated against COVID-19, school leaders need to tread the line between persistence and badgering.