In a sweeping action responding to debate and speculation over the last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved COVID-19 boosters from Moderna and Johnson & Johnson Wednesday. The FDA also approved the use of a vaccine brand different from the one Americans received from their first dose(s). “Today’s actions demonstrate our commitment to…

The White House announced a plan Wednesday morning to vaccinate America’s 28 million kids ages 5 to 11 against COVID-19. No vaccine is currently available to kids that age group in the U.S., but formal approval is expected once the Food and Drug Administration signs off and a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel meeting…

According to an American health official who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration is expected to allow the mixing and matching of COVID-19 vaccine booster doses later this week. The AP said the official was familiar with the matter. According to them, the FDA is…

Update (10/15/21): A day after unanimously approving booster shots of the Moderna vaccine for some adults, a Food and Drug Administration panel unanimously approved the Johnson & Johnson booster for all adults Friday. The video above shows clips from the panel’s two-day debate on each company’s booster. The panel said the J&J booster should be offered…

Drugmaker Merck announced Monday it has taken a major step that could lead to the first FDA-approved COVID-19 pill. Currently, all other FDA-backed treatments against the disease require an IV or injection. Merck said in a press release it had applied for emergency use authorization for their antiviral pill, called molnupiravir. According to the press release,…

On the same day Pfizer announced it is seeking regulatory approval for use of the company’s COVID-19 vaccine on American children ages 5-11, a new report released Thursday shows just how many children lost a caregiver during the pandemic. “We and @BioNTech_Group officially submitted our request to @US_FDA for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of our…

Gwen’s picks for Tuesday, October 5 include: Facebook’s whistleblower testifies before Congress and calls out former boss Mark Zuckerberg. California Governor Gavin Newsom issues a state of emergency order, following an oil spill in Orange County. Johnson & Johnson applies for FDA approval of its COVID vaccine booster shot.

Johnson & Johnson became the latest COVID-19 vaccine maker to seek approval from the Food and Drug Administration for its booster shot Tuesday, the same day Australia announced it would not allow foreign tourists back in the country until at least 2022. The booster shot would be available for those 18 and older if it…

Gwen’s picks for Friday, October 1 include: President Biden meets with Democrats as they work to rescue the $3.5 trillion spending bill. Negotiations continue on Capitol Hill as that bill and the bipartisan infrastructure bill, two key parts of Biden’s domestic agenda, hang in the balance. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh tests positive for COVID-19…

WASHINGTON (AP) — On Friday, drug maker Merck said its experimental COVID-19 pill reduced hospitalizations and deaths by half in people recently infected with the coronavirus and that it would soon ask health officials in the U.S. and around the world to authorize its use. If cleared, the drug would be the first pill shown…