OMICRON

Viruses evolve, and vaccines should too. That was the big-picture takeaway from a pivotal meeting this week of the FDA’s expert advisory panel. The question before them was simple: Ahead of an expected winter surge, should vaccine manufacturers tweak their forthcoming booster shots to target Omicron, or should they stick with the tried-and-true 2020 recipe?

Advisers to the U.S. government are recommending that COVID-19 booster shots used this fall be modified to better match more recent variants of the coronavirus.

Pfizer's Omicron-only booster sparked the strongest immune response against that variant.

“Jurassic World: Dominion” dominated at the box office over Father’s Day weekend, beating out Disney’s “Toy Story” spinoff “Lightyear.” Meanwhile, "Top Gun: Maverick" is expected to earn $1 billion by July 4.

Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/GettyCOVID-19 cases are increasing again in the United Kingdom, potentially signaling a future surge in infections in the United States and other countries.A pair of new subvariants of the dominant Omicron variant—BA.4 and BA.5—appear to be driving the uptick in cases in the U.K. Worryingly, these subvariants seem to partially dodge antibodies from past infection or vaccination, making them more transmissible than other forms of the SARS-CoV-

DOT Secretary met virtually with airline CEOs on Thursday after several waves of flight delays and cancellations.

Some scientists estimate that cases of long COVID from omicron will still rise, however, because of high transmissibility and the misconception that people don't have to worry about catching it.

People who had only two initial doses of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine fared no better against Omicron than those who were unvaccinated, new study finds.

The FDA's vaccine advisers meet later this month to weigh updating booster shots.

COVID-19 vaccine makers are studying updated boosters that might be offered in the fall to better protect people against future coronavirus surges.

The "bivalent" vaccine — meaning it targets two different antigens — is Moderna's leading candidate to have an effective booster ready for fall of 2022, the company said.

In the winter, COVID cases shot up and plummeted with unprecedented speed. But this surge is dragging on and on in some parts of the country.

Delta said it expects revenue to get back to 2019 levels this quarter.

Our original-recipe vaccines are still doing well against new variants. But we may need to improve them, and soon.

A US judge says the policy that allows migrants to be expelled over Covid fears must stay in place.

The CDC must decide whether to formally recommend the booster for this age group.

For more than a year now, the original COVID-19 vaccines have held up remarkably well — even miraculously so — against a Greek alphabet of new variants: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta. But now experts say something is changing. Since the start of 2022, the initial version of Omicron, known as BA.1, has been spinning off new sublineages — BA.2, BA.2.12.1, BA.4, BA.5 — at an alarming pace.

Unvaccinated people who got Covid last winter have little protection from reinfection, and even vaccinated people might be vulnerable after only a few months.

South Africa's new cases have gone from an average of 300 per day in early April to about 8,000 per day in mid-May.

North Korea's leader blames the outbreak on bureaucratic and medical incompetence.

The U.S. will have to decide soon whether to bet big on an Omicron vaccine.

State media report the country's first outbreak, but observers believe the virus has long been present.

In the wake of the Omicron variant wave over the winter, more than half of Americans are estimated to have antibodies from a previous infection.

In the wake of the Omicron variant wave over the winter, more than half of Americans are estimated to have antibodies from a previous infection.

The following is a transcript of an interview with Dr. Scott Gottlieb that aired Sunday, April 24, 2022, on "Face the Nation."

Moderna's goal is to produce a combination shot that specifically targets Omicron.

Pfizer tested the kid booster while Omicron was surging this winter.

Citing a "robust response" of antibodies against Omicron in their vaccine trials, the companies said they were planning to submit a request "in the coming days."

As prevalence of the Omicron subvariant nears 90% nationwide, officials around the world are already tracking the rise of dozens of new potential variants.

Shanghai is under strict lockdown, in contrast to the relatively relaxed approach it previously took to the pandemic.

The Chinese leader's comments come as infections rise and residents complain of food shortages.

The World Health Organization says it's tracking an Omicron variant that's a recombination of BA.1 and BA.2 that could be more transmissible, however.

Not much is untouched by COVID-19, and the nation’s blood supply is no exception.

China's financial hub is now subject to indefinite restrictions after Covid cases hit a new high.

Millions of Americans 50 and older are now eligible to receive another booster shot, after the Food and Drug Administration authorized a new round of COVID-19 vaccines for those who want them. But there are questions about both the effectiveness and who will pay for the optional shots. Senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang has the latest.

Scientists say relaxed COVID measures in China and Europe could be behind the recent rise.

Scientists say relaxed COVID measures in China and Europe could be behind the recent rise.

The financial hub will be locked down in two phases, in China's biggest city-wide lockdown yet.

An Omicron subvariant, known as BA.2 is estimated to become dominant in the U.S. in the coming weeks. BA.2 is at least 30% more transmissible than its cousin BA.1, and it has been driving new COVID-19 surges in the U.K. and other European countries.

A CDC map shows how the BA.2 subvariant has outcompeted other types of coronaviruses in the northeastern US.

Data from Walgreens, which conducts testing at its pharmacies nationwide, shows BA.2 as the dominant variant at 51% of all positive Covid cases as of March 19.

At last, rapid COVID tests are everywhere—and that means a surge of false-negative results.

When the latest COVID wave arrives, do nothing

For the majority of Americans, experts say we don't need to worry as much as past waves.

For the majority of Americans, experts say we don't need to worry as much as past waves.

Pfizer and Moderna vaccines proved very effective against COVID Omicron variant, study shows

China is by far the world’s biggest COVID powder keg — and it might be on the verge of exploding. Not since the earliest days of the pandemic has the most populous country on the planet ever reported more than about 200 coronavirus cases per day — dizzying evidence of the blunt, even brutal, effectiveness of Beijing’s “zero COVID” strategy, which requires strict mass lockdowns at the first flicker of an outbreak.

What accounts for BA.2’s recent success? It's not due to an ability to evade the protection of COVID-19 vaccines, a new study finds.

Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Thursday morning.

Cases of COVID-19 are surging in several European countries because of the BA.2 Omicron subvariant, and US experts are keeping their masks on.

The message from health leaders in Northeast Florida on Friday: COVID-19 cases continue to trend down.

Scientists and health officials around the world are keeping their eyes on a descendant of the omicron variant that has been found in countries, including the United States.

The stock market is losing crucial support from the Federal Reserve.

The owners of a company operating hundreds of pop-up COVID-19 testing sites across the country, including one in Jacksonville, have been the subject of several investigations by major media outlets over how they’re spending their money.

The Minnesota Attorney General’s office is accusing the Center for Covid Control of deceptive and fraudulent practices.

Federal officials are investigating numerous complaints related to Center for COVID Control, the company that had been operating a rapid COVID-19 testing site in downtown Jacksonville, the News4JAX I-TEAM learned Friday.

A COVID-19 testing company with a location in downtown Jacksonville has suspended operations.

Just last week, we asked: If you’re a health care worker, what are you seeing lately on the job?

The nation’s top health officials testified Tuesday before United States senators about the federal government’s response to the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Starting Monday, unvaccinated employees at big companies will be expected to wear masks to work.

Look, life as we know it right now is pretty insane. Omicron is raging across the country, it didn’t even feel like 2021 happened and America’s sweetheart, Betty White, is dead.

The White House COVID-19 Response Team held a briefing Wednesday as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to surge, fueled by the highly contagious omicron variant.

President Joe Biden is urging concern but not alarm as the United States set records for daily reported COVID-19 cases and his administration struggles to ease concerns about testing shortages.

Why are so many vaccinated people getting COVID-19 lately.

When it comes to treatment of COVID-19, options are limited, and the omicron variant has proved to be an even bigger challenge for providers.

Florida reported 58,018 COVID-19 cases for Wednesday as the omicron variant surges, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

In a potentially ominous message for Florida’s cruise-ship industry, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that people should avoid cruise travel “regardless of vaccination status” because of the spread of COVID-19.

As the demand for testing has grown, the FDA announced at home COVID tests may not detect the Omicron variant as well as other variants.

While COVID-19 cases spike locally and across the nation, doctors worry about the youngest patients.

New cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. have soared to their highest level on record at over 265,000 per day on average, a surge driven largely by the highly contagious omicron variant.

We might not be able to claim that 2021 was *the* wildest year in recent history (2020 will likely get that credit for quite some time), but it might be a close second.

Greece’s health minister says music will be banned at all commercial venues for New Year’s celebrations as part of new restrictions announced in response to a surge in COVID-19 infections fueled by the omicron variant.

Omicron may not be as prevalent as first thought, but it does remain the dominant variant in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

UF Health Jacksonville had considered no longer ordering the Regeneron monoclonal antibody treatment but with the new numbers from the CDC, they backed off that decision and will continue to offer Regeneron treatment, Neilsen said.

The latest COVID-19 variant is upending holiday plans for tens of thousands of travelers — but it didn’t do much damage to holiday shopping.

With COVID-19 cases spiking, a local infectious disease expert shares his advice to help keep you and your family safe during the holidays.

Citing a “nationwide spike in Omicron cases,” United Airlines on Thursday announced it is canceling some of its Christmas Eve flights.

There’s now another treatment option for COVID-19.

The Florida Department of Health in Duval County offered a warning on Thursday, saying to expect another surge of COVID-19 in the coming months because of the omicron variant.

Local doctors have a strong message for the community: The omicron variant is here.

Genomic surveillance data shows omicron has overtaken the delta variant in Miami-Dade County as the dominant strain of the coronavirus in just a matter of weeks.

President Joe Biden has announced plans to deliver 500 million free COVID-19 tests to Americans, increase support for hospitals and expand the availability of vaccines to confront a winter surge of coronavirus cases driven by the fast-spreading omicron variant.

Omicron has raced ahead of other variants and is now the dominant version of the coronavirus in the U.S. Federal health officials said Monday that omicron accounted for an estimated 73% of new infections last week.

The omicron variant of COVID-19 is spreading, and infectious disease experts say it won't be long before it's detected in the Jacksonville area.

British Health Secretary Sajid Javid says the omicron variant of COVID-19 is spreading so rapidly that it has the potential to overwhelm Britain’s hospitals.

The first case of the coronavirus omicron variant in Florida was confirmed Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Florida Department of Health said.

The first case of the Omicron variant was recently reported in the United States, and now, other cases are starting to emerge.

To protect yourself against the omicron variant, experts say to do what you would against any other variant.

Health experts are warning a new ‘Omicron wave’ could cause a large surge in infections across the world in the next month as people are traveling during the holiday season.

While all eyes are on the new and little-understood omicron variant, the delta form of the coronavirus isn’t finished wreaking havoc in the U.S., sending record numbers of patients to the hospital in some states, especially in the Midwest and New England.

Lab testing has confirmed a COVID-19 case involving the omicron variant in Minnesota, state health officials said Thursday.

The omicron coronavirus variant has been confirmed in an unvaccinated Hawaii resident with no recent travel history.

The U.S. recorded its first confirmed case of the omicron variant Wednesday — a person in California who had been to South Africa.

News4JAX on Wednesday checked in with local hospitals to see what is happening at those locations and went to several testing and vaccine sites to check if more people are taking precautions now because of the omicron variant.

Scientists say it could be weeks before they better understand how dangerous the omicron variant is.

The World Health Organization says travel bans by countries are having an impact on global cooperation against the new omicron variant by causing “challenges” to the sharing of laboratory samples from South Africa that can help get better grips on the new variant.

It’s still too early to tell: That is the message from the White House COVID-19 Response Team as scientists race to find out more about the omicron variant.

Britain says it will offer all adults a booster dose of vaccine within two months to bolster the nation’s immunity as the new omicron variant of the coronavirus spreads.

President Biden on Monday told the nation that there was no need to panic about the new COVID-19 variant omicron, and a Jacksonville-area coronavirus researcher agrees with that approach.