With inputs from Dr Monica Vasudev

“Covid-19 remains a public health emergency of international concern”, says WHO

The Emergency Committee of WHO on COVID-19 has cautioned that “COVID-19 remains a public health emergency of international concern”. The Committee urged countries to update their pandemic “preparedness and response plans”. Testing and treatment facilities, including vaccination should be accessible to all, especially those at high-risk of getting the infection. At a media briefing on Wednesday, the WHO Director General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus said, “This pandemic has surprised us before and very well could again”…(Source: WHO, Oct. 19, 2022).

CDC to include Covid-19 vaccine in the routine vaccination schedule

The CDC will update the 2023 annual immunization schedules for both children and adults by including Covid-19 vaccines as recommended by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The updated vaccination schedule will be published early next year…(Source: CDC, Oct. 20, 2022).

Europe’s drug regulatory agency recommends Moderna’s bivalent vaccine as booster

Moderna’s bivalent Covid-19 booster vaccination will soon be available in Europe for persons aged 12 years and above following the European Medical Agency (EMA)’s recommendation for authorization. EMA has also granted authorization to Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines for children as young as six months…(Source: Reuters, Oct. 20, 2022).

Novavax Covid-19 vaccine now also authorized as booster 

The Novavax Covid-19 vaccine is now also available as a booster dose in the United States. Earlier this week, the US FDA authorized the vaccine as booster for adults who cannot get the updated boosters or those who do not want to take any other booster dose…(Source: Medscape, Oct. 20, 2022).