PFIZER

In small studies in South Africa and Germany, the results indicate a marked decrease in the ability of vaccines to neutralize this variant. But there are other findings that are encouraging.

Pfizer will submit full data on its Covid treatment pill to the Food and Drug Administration in the coming days, CEO Albert Bourla told CNBC on Wednesday. "We will have the full set in a few days," Bourla told CNBC's "Squawk Box." Pfizer submitted its application to the FDA last month for emergency approval of the treatment. Bourla told CNBC the FDA has a "very high sense of urgency" and he believes they will make a decision this month. The pill would be available to the public soon after its approved by the FDA, Bourla said.

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Moderna president said current COVID-19 vaccines probably aren't effective against the new variant.

Pfizer says a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine appears to offer important protection against the new omicron variant.

Three doses of Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine provide a high level of protection against the omicron variant of the virus that causes Covid-19, the companies announced on Wednesday. A booster shot of the vaccine increases antibody protection 25-fold compared with the initial two-dose series, according to a preliminary lab study. A third shot produces antibody levels comparable to those induced by the two-dose initial series against the original strain, which are associated with a high level of protection. The companies said two-doses of the vaccine showed a significant reduction in the ability of antibodies to target and neutralize omicron, though they may still protect against severe disease. Pfizer and BioNTech expect to have a vaccine that specifically targets omicron available by March 2022.

Dr. Scott Gottlieb told CNBC the omicron variant "extends the timeline" on when Covid will go from pandemic to endemic.

Day by day, more information has emerged regarding the spread of the variant, as well as anecdotal evidence and preliminary data about its risk profile.

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

The preprint study has not yet been peer reviewed and it tested 14 plasma samples from 12 vaccinated people, 6 of whom were previously infected.

Omicron has many more mutations than previous variants of concern, a fact that raises questions about how effective existing vaccines will be against the new form of the coronavirus.

"I don't think it's good news to have something that spreads fast," Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told The Wall Street Journal.

The comments come as an increasing number of governments are considering, or planning to introduce, compulsory vaccinations.

Moderna president said current COVID-19 vaccines probably aren't effective against the new variant.

Nicole and Jeff Sperry said they were excited for a COVID-19 vaccination for kids, but heartbroken because it was authorized around a month after their daughter died.

Moderna president said current COVID-19 vaccines probably aren't effective against the new variant.

Some people are unboosted. Others mixed and matched the brands of their shots. Which differences matter?

There's reason to believe that current vaccines are going to be "quite effective" in combating the effects of the omicron strain, says Andy Slavitt.

The following is a transcript of an interview with former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb on Sunday, December 5, 2021.

Almost all the vaccines in a study of seven different shots appeared to boost the immune response when used as a third dose.

A British study has found that Black and other ethnic minority people in the U.

Pfizer researchers looking for a drug to treat SARS found clues that gave the company a head start in its quest for a pill to treat COVID-19, including the omicron variant.

Researchers say there are signs the boosters would still offer protection against new variant Omicron.

Eventually, the world will have to grapple with Covid-19 strains that combine the strongest traits of prior coronavirus mutations. Vaccines remain the best answer.

The peer-reviewed phase 2 trial analyzed the safety and efficacy of seven vaccines when administered as booster shots.

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

Pfizer's CEO says the vaccine maker has asked federal regulators to authorize boosters for 16- and 17-year-olds. Currently, only people 18 and over are eligible for a booster in the U.S.

New York City instituted a new mask mandate Tuesday as the stock market was down over renewed COVID fears.

President Joe Biden said Monday he is directing federal agencies to be prepared to move as quickly as possible to approve additional vaccines or boosters tailored to shield against the new omicron coronavirus variant. The current Covid vaccines are believed to provide at least some protection from the heavily mutated omicron strain, and booster shots "strengthen that protection significantly," Biden assured Americans in a speech at the White House. "We do not yet believe that additional measures will be needed," he said. But the president said his administration nevertheless is working with vaccine-makers Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson to develop contingency plans for new vaccines or boosters if needed. The White House is also directing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to use the "fastest process available without cutting any corners" to approve those potential vaccines and get them on the market, Biden said.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said on Monday that he expects the company's Covid-19 treatment pill to be effective against the omicron variant of the virus causes Covid-19. "So that gives me very high level of confidence that the treatment will not be affected, our oral treatment will not be affected by this virus." Pfizer submitted its application earlier this month to the Food and Drug Administration to authorize the pill, Paxlovid, for emergency use. In a clinical trial of people age 18 and over, Pfizer found the pill reduces hospitalization and death by 89% when taken with a widely used HIV drug within three days of the start of symptoms. The pill blocks an enzyme the virus needs to replicate.

The following is a transcript of an interview with former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb on Sunday, November 28, 2021.

A new coronavirus variant, first discovered in South Africa, has begun to spread around the globe. Vaccine producers say they're working to get ahead of the new strain.

Pfizer expects to know within two weeks whether the variant is resistant to its current vaccine, a company spokesperson told Reuters.

"We expect Omicron to be identified quickly, if it emerges in the U.S.," according to the statement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Drugmaker said it could develop a vaccine for the Omicron variant in 100 days, but government clearance could take longer.

The WHO has said it will take weeks to understand how the variant may impact diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines.

Pfizer and BioNTech said they expect more data from lab tests in two weeks at the latest.

The B.1.1.529 variant has been detected in South Africa, Botswana, Hong Kong, and Israel, and it's spreading rapidly.

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The European Medicines Agency is recommending the two-dose regimen given to children three weeks apart.

The European Medicines Agency is recommending the two-dose regimen given to children three weeks apart.

The European Union drugs regulator has authorized Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine for use on children aged from 5 to 11 years.

Israel has begun administering the coronavirus vaccine to children age 5 to 11.

Dr. Scott Gottlieb told CNBC that people should get boosters as soon as possible because breakthrough infections are occurring more than the public realizes.

Hospitalization rates are also starting to climb, raising concerns about a potential new wave of infections during the holiday season.

The U.S. on Friday opened COVID-19 booster shots to all adults.

Hours after the Food and Drug Administration authorized booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine for all adults 18 years and older, a panel of experts endorsed their use with a few caveats.

The panel's recommendation would open up eligibility to everyone 18 and over, but the group emphasized that everyone 50 and over should get a booster.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said on Wednesday that the agency would act as quickly as possible on boosters.

Scientists previously advised the FDA to reject the Biden administration's plan to start distributing booster shots, citing a lack of supporting data.

The U.S. is opening COVID-19 vaccine boosters to all adults, and urging them for anyone 50 and older.

Many states have already moved to allow all adults to receive a COVID vaccine booster shot, ahead of the FDA and CDC's decision.

If authorized, molnupiravir could be a key oral treatment to help keep COVID-19 patients out of the hospital. Plyushkin/iStock via Getty Images PlusNearly two years into the pandemic, it has become starkly clear that we need better treatments for COVID-19 for people in the earlier stages of disease. Two new antiviral drugs could soon be the first effective oral treatments for COVID-19 to help keep people out of the hospital. An advisory committee to the Food and Drug Administration plans to revi

The approval comes about two months late — after scientists advising the FDA rejected the administration's original plans to distribute boosters to all adults.

Many millions more American adults could be eligible to receive a booster dose of Pfizer's COVID vaccine.

A surge in COVID-19 cases in the Upper Midwest has some Michigan schools keeping students at home ahead of Thanksgiving.

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

The pharmaceutical giant has asked the federal regulators to authorize the experimental pill​, called Paxlovid.

The White House says about 10% of eligible children ages 5 to 11 have received a dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine since its approval for their age group two weeks ago.

The Biden administration is making billions of dollars available to drugmakers to scale up domestic production of COVID-19 vaccines.

Florida lawmakers are moving quickly to ban vaccines and mask mandates for employees and students.

Pfizer is seeking U.S. authorization of its experimental COVID-19 treatment pill.

The Austrian government has ordered a nationwide lockdown for unvaccinated people to combat rising coronavirus infections and deaths.

An alliance of unions representing 50,000 Kaiser Permanente workers in California, Oregon and six other states has called off a strike notice after reaching a tentative labor deal with the health care network.

Austrian media are reporting that young children in Vienna can start getting coronavirus vaccinations next week as part of a pilot project.

The contagious delta variant is driving up COVID-19 hospitalizations in the Mountain West and fueling disruptive outbreaks in the North.

Pfizer is asking U.S. regulators to allow boosters of its COVID-19 vaccine for anyone 18 or older.

U.S. stocks pushed further into record heights on Friday following an encouraging report on hiring across the country.

As more locations offer COVID-19 booster shots, children ages 5 to 11 can get vaccinated in Florida starting Friday.

Three clinics in the Georgia Department of Public Health’s Coastal Health District, including one in Glynn County, on Monday, Nov. 8, will begin offering pediatric doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to children ages to 11.

The city of Jacksonville, in partnership with Agape Family Health and the Florida Department of Health in Duval County, on Thursday announced additional COVID-19 vaccination services at four city-funded locations.

The Air Force says nearly 8,500 active duty members of the Air Force and Space Force have missed the deadline for getting COVID-19 vaccinations, including 800 who flatly refused and nearly 5,000 with pending requests for a religious exemption.

Schoolchildren take the spotlight this week as the U.S. enters a new phase in COVID-19 vaccination aimed at curbing deaths, hospitalizations and more than a year of disrupted education.

Vaccinations finally are available to U.S. children as young as 5, to the relief of many parents.

US health officials have given the final OK to Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for children as young as 5.

The White House says the Biden administration is already assembling and shipping millions of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11.

Companies with at least 100 workers will be required to give employees paid time off to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and paid sick leave if they have side effects from the shots.

U.S. regulators are delaying their decision on Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for 12- to 17-year-olds while they study the rare risk of heart inflammation.

Pfizer’s vaccine has been authorized by U.S. regulators for younger children, and millions of teens have already safely received the shot.

28 million eligible children are one step closer to being able to get a COVID-19 vaccine. The FDA has approved Pfizer's vaccine for kids 5-11.

The Food and Drug Administration has paved the way for children ages 5 to 11 to get Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.

Vietnam has started to vaccinate children as part of an effort to reopen schools after more than half a year of closures due to COVID-19.

U.S. health advisers have endorsed kid-size doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for young children.

Moderna says its low-dose COVID-19 vaccine is safe and appears to work in 6- to 11-year-olds.

Taking the recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses may no longer be enough to be considered “fully vaccinated” in the future. The CDC is considering updating its definition to include a booster shot.

Georgia officials say local health departments will begin offering more COVID-19 vaccine booster shots on Tuesday, following guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Federal scientists say kid-size doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine appear highly effective at preventing symptomatic infections among elementary school children.

Worried that the flu and COVID-19 could together trigger a winter-time double-whammy of new infections and deaths, France is forging ahead with a nationwide vaccination and booster-shot program against both diseases.

Federal health officials say millions more Americans can get a COVID-19 booster and choose a different vaccine for that next shot.

New data from Cleveland Clinic shows how effective the COVID-19 vaccine is in reducing hospitalizations.

The Pfizer vaccine for Covid-19 could receive federal approval for kids ages five to 11 years old in early November.

South Africa has started giving COVID-19 vaccinations to adolescents aged between 12 and 17 years, with a goal of inoculating at least 6 million people from this age group.

U.S. regulators are extending COVID-19 boosters to Americans who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Kids aged 5 to 11 will soon be able to get a COVID-19 shot at their pediatrician’s office, local pharmacy and potentially even their school.

Dr. Anthony Fauci says it's “really unfortunate” that Gov. Greg Abbott has moved to ban vaccine mandates in the state of Texas.

U.S. health officials are setting the stage for a national COVID-19 vaccination campaign for younger children, inviting state officials to pre-order doses starting next week.

A panel of U.S. health advisers has endorsed booster shots for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.

The Food and Drug Administration is wrestling with how to decide on booster doses of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

With many Americans who got Pfizer vaccinations already rolling up their sleeves for a booster shot, millions of others who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine wait anxiously to learn when it’s their turn.

The government’s top infectious diseases expert says families can feel safe trick-or-treating outdoors this year for Halloween as COVID-19 cases in the U.S. decline, especially for those who are vaccinated.