FDA: Annual Covid Shots Expected

CNN: FDA Officials Say Annual Covid-19 Shots May Be Needed In The Future
The United States might need to update its Covid-19 vaccines each year, according to a trio of top US Food and Drug Administration officials, and "a new normal" may include an annual Covid-19 vaccine alongside a seasonal flu shot. "Widespread vaccine- and infection-induced immunity, combined with the availability of effective therapeutics, could blunt the effects of future outbreaks. Nonetheless, it is time to accept that the presence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is the new normal. It will likely circulate globally for the foreseeable future, taking its place alongside other common respiratory viruses such as influenza. And it likely will require similar annual consideration for vaccine composition updates," Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research; Principal Deputy Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock; and new FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf wrote in a paper published in the medical journal JAMA on Monday. (Howard, 5/3)

AP: Pfizer Hopes To Submit Little-Kid Vaccine Data By Early June
Pfizer now hopes to tell U.S. regulators how well its COVID-19 vaccine works in the littlest kids by late May or early June. Pfizer is testing three extra-small doses of its vaccine in children under 5 after two shots didn’t prove quite strong enough. Initial results had been expected last month but the company laid out the latest timeline Tuesday during its discussion of quarterly financial results. Currently in the U.S., only children ages 5 or older can be vaccinated, using Pfizer’s vaccine -- leaving 18 million younger tots unprotected. (5/4)

CNN: Fewer Than 1 In 5 US Parents Say They'll Get Covid-19 Vaccines For Kids Under 5 As Soon As They Can, Survey Finds 
US children under 5 are getting closer to authorized Covid-19 vaccines, but most parents may be reluctant to actually get them when they become available, a new survey found. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation's Vaccine Monitor survey, published Wednesday, only 18% of parents of children under 5 said they would vaccinate their child against Covid-19 as soon as a vaccine was available. Nearly 40% of parents of young children said they would "wait and see" before vaccinating their child, 11% said they would get the vaccine only if required, and 27% said they would "definitely not" vaccinate their child against Covid-19. (Langmaid, 5/4)

On the rising threat of omicron subvariants —

CNN: Newer, Fitter Descendants Of Omicron Variant Begin To Drive Their Own Coronavirus Waves
There's no denying the numbers: Even with spotty reporting, Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations are rising again in the United States. ... Average daily hospitalizations are up about 10% since last week, according to data collected by the US Department of Health and Human Services. The culprit this time appears to be a spinoff of Omicron's BA.2 subvariant called BA.2.12.1, which was first flagged by New York state health officials in April. BA.2.12.1, which is growing about 25% faster than its parent virus, BA.2, accounts for nearly 37% all Covid-19 cases across the US, according to new estimates from the CDC.BA.2 caused an estimated 62% of all Covid-19 cases last week, down from 70% the week before. (Goodman, 5/3)

Los Angeles Times: BA.4, BA.5 Coronavirus Variants Reinfecting Omicron Survivors
“It really came out of the blue over the weekend. We were already settling down with BA.2.12.1, and then BA.4 and BA.5?” said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious diseases expert at UC San Francisco. “It just seems like the latest chapter of a never-ending saga.” The rapid growth of BA.4 and BA.5 in South Africa has implications for a potential future surge in California and the U.S. Until now, scientists had been reassured that people who survived the first Omicron variant over the winter, BA.1, were unlikely to be reinfected by the even more infectious subvariant BA.2, which is now dominant nationwide. (Lin II and Money, 5/3)

NBC News: What The Latest Omicron Subvariants Mean For Reinfection Risk
The U.S. has acquired a high level of immunity from Covid, health officials say, through a combination of vaccinations, boosters and prior infection. Nearly 60 percent of people in the country had been infected by February, including roughly 75 percent of children and teens. Still, research shows antibodies obtained from vaccination or infection gradually wane over time, and each new omicron subvariant, though still a part of the larger omicron family tree, is slightly different from the last, meaning a person's ability to fight off infections from the virus can shift. (Lovelace Jr., 5/3)

In news on covid trends —

San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area COVID Cases And Hospitalizations Rise Again As New Infections Swell In April
An upturn in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in the Bay Area is beginning to gather steam, as new COVID-19 infections in the region have risen 167% in the same month that saw the state dropping most mitigation measures, including vaccine verification and mask requirements for schools and public transit. All nine Bay Area counties now have a “high” level of coronavirus transmission, according to metrics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That means each county reported more than 100 cases per 100,000 residents last week. (Vaziri, 5/3)

CBS News: COVID-19 Cases Could Soon Be At 'Medium Risk' Level In Chicago
As COVID-19 cases slowly rise in Chicago, city health officials say the city could be at "medium risk" level in a matter of days. When the city moves to medium risk, the Chicago Department of Public Health will recommend wearing masks indoors again, saying up-to-date with vaccines and boosters, and having a plan for rapid testing. DuPage, Lake, and suburban Cook counties moved to medium risk within the last two weeks. (5/3)

The Hill: Puerto Rico COVID Cases Surge After Restrictions Dropped
COVID-19 cases in Puerto Rico are climbing and have been since mid-March, around the time the island dropped its pandemic-related restrictions. Puerto Rico has had 26,273 new cases in the last week, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. While cases are still far from highs seen during the surge of the highly contagious omicron variant in January, numbers steeply increased last month after hovering around 200 new cases per day for much of March. (Beals, 5/3)

In other covid developments —

Bloomberg: Pfizer Says Patients Who Relapse After Covid Pill Can Repeat Treatment
Pfizer Inc. executives said patients who suffer a relapse in Covid-19 symptoms after taking a full course of Paxlovid should take more of the treatment, though current U.S. guidelines limit use to five consecutive days. “Paxlovid does what it has to do: it reduces the viral load,” Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla said in an interview. “Then your body is supposed to do the job.” But for unknown reasons, the CEO said, some patients aren’t able to clear the virus with the first course of treatment. In cases where virus levels do rebound, Bourla said, “then you give a second course, like you do with antibiotics, and that’s it.” (Griffin, Muller and Langreth, 5/3)

The Washington Post: CDC Reiterates Importance Of Masks On Airplanes, Public Transportation
Federal health officials on Tuesday repeated their recommendation that masks be worn on airplanes, buses and in other public transportation settings where large numbers of people congregate. Despite a federal judge’s order last month striking down the federal transportation mask mandate, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said masks continue to be an important tool for stopping the spread of the coronavirus. (Aratani, 5/3)

AP: Even As COVID Cases Rise, Mask Mandates Stay Shelved
An increase in COVID-19 infections around the U.S. has sent more cities into new high-risk categories that are supposed to trigger indoor mask wearing, but much of the country is stopping short of bringing back restrictions amid deep pandemic fatigue. For weeks, much of upstate New York has been in the high-alert orange zone, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designation that reflects serious community spread. The CDC urges people to mask up in indoor public places, including schools, regardless of vaccination status. But few, if any, local jurisdictions in the region brought back a mask requirement despite rising case counts. (Caina Calvan and LeBlanc, 5/3)

Stat: A Compromise On Patent Waivers For Covid-19 Vaccines Takes A Key Step At The WTO 
A controversial proposal before the World Trade Organization to waive patent rights for Covid-19 vaccines is taking a significant step forward, as a recently reached compromise draft agreement is slated to be sent next week to the agency’s General Council for review. The move follows an informal session held in Geneva, Switzerland, where various provisions were discussed. Several weeks ago, the European Union, South Africa, India, and the United States came to a tentative understanding about advancing the proposal, which was first introduced in late 2020 to widen access to Covid-19 medical products. (Silverman, 5/3)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Kemp Signs Bill To Ban COVID-19 ‘Vaccine Passports’
Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation Tuesday that would ban any state or local agency, government or school from requiring anyone to get a COVID-19 vaccination. The legislation, Senate Bill 345, passed on a party-line vote with Kemp’s support. “We will always stand up for the rights of our people against government overreach,” the governor said. (5/3)