CDC Beefs Up Booster Recs; Omicron vs Monoclonals; Vax Mandate Blocked in 10 States

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CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, announced updated vaccine guidance in the wake of Omicron, stating that all adults “should” get a COVID-19 booster shot.

Pfizer and BioNTech are expected to ask the FDA to authorize boosters for 16- and 17-year-olds as well. (Washington Post)

The U.K. will offer boosters to all adults 3 months after completing their primary series. (CNN)

And Greece said it will mandate COVID-19 vaccines for people over 60. (Reuters)

As of Tuesday at 8 a.m. EST, the unofficial U.S. COVID-19 toll is 48,440,107 cases and 778,653 deaths, up 205,361 cases and 2,006 deaths from yesterday.

In South Africa, the province where Omicron was first discovered has seen a 400% increase in hospitalizations since the beginning of November. (NBC News)

Alex Sigal, PhD, one of the scientists who helped discover the new variant in South Africa, said “this is probably the most mutated virus we’d ever seen.” (CBS News)

The emergence of Omicron highlights the consequences of something scientists have warned about for months: global inequities in vaccine distribution. (AP)

Initial tests suggest that monoclonal antibody treatments — the only drugs authorized to treat COVID before a patient is hospitalized — may be less effective against the Omicron variant. (Wall Street Journal)

Meanwhile, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, PhD, said he has a “very high level of confidence” that the Omicron variant will not impact effectiveness of the company’s investigational COVID-19 antiviral pill. (CNBC)

Speaking of which, the effectiveness of these antiviral pills is dependent on early administration of the medication. Will our testing be able to keep up? (New York Times)

A U.S. district judge in Missouri blocked enforcement of the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for healthcare workers in 10 states. (Reuters)

Oklahoma’s request that its National Guard be exempted from the Pentagon’s vaccine mandate was denied by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. (AP)

The White House told federal agencies they can delay punishing federal workers who have yet to comply with the November 22 vaccination deadline until the start of the new year. (Reuters)

Merriam-Webster selected “vaccine” as its word of the year.

The FDA approved the imaging drug pafolacianine (Cytalux), which can help locate difficult-to-detect ovarian cancer lesions during surgery.

And Cumberland Pharmaceuticals announced expanded labeling for its intravenous ibuprofen formulation (Caldolor), to include administration just before surgeries.

A federal court ruled that former Insys executives collectively owe close to $50 million for their role in the opioid crisis. (Fierce Pharma)