Changes successful CDC's COVID-19 vaccine guidance
The caller COVID-19 variant NB.1.8.1, which was linked to a large surge of hospitalizations successful parts of Asia, could present marque up much than 1 successful 3 cases crossed the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention projected this week.
Last month, the CDC's airdrome surveillance programme had detected cases of the variant successful arriving planetary travelers from respective countries. The agency now says that astir fractional of the COVID infections detected successful that programme the past week of May were the NB.1.8.1 variant.
The CDC cautioned that "precision successful the astir caller reporting play is low" for their estimates, meaning the projections transportation a wide borderline of error. Still, the estimated summation successful prevalence successful the U.S. highlights the variant's precocious transmissibility — thing experts had warned astir arsenic soon arsenic it began spreading successful this country.
"Data indicates that NB.1.8.1 does not pb to much terrible unwellness compared to erstwhile variants, though it appears to person a maturation advantage, suggesting it whitethorn dispersed much easily. In different words, it is much transmissible," Subhash Verma, a prof of microbiology and immunology astatine the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, previously told CBS News.
Symptoms of the variant are broadly akin to those seen successful earlier strains, Verma noted. Typical symptoms see respiratory issues specified arsenic cough and sore throat, arsenic good arsenic systemic issues similar fever and fatigue.
As wellness officials proceed monitoring the virus, the Trump medication has precocious made moves to alteration entree to vaccines for immoderate Americans.
In May, the Food and Drug Administration said it volition proceed approving COVID-19 vaccine updates for seniors and those with an underlying aesculapian condition, including gestation oregon diabetes, but volition necessitate vaccine makers to behaviour large caller objective trials earlier approving them for wider use.
The determination means galore radical without underlying conditions whitethorn not person entree to updated shots this fall.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also said past period that helium would region the CDC's proposal for children and steadfast large women to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Later that week, however, the CDC said that kids with nary underlying wellness conditions "may receive" COVID-19 vaccines.
"Where the genitor presents with a tendency for their kid to beryllium vaccinated, children 6 months and older whitethorn person COVID-19 vaccination, informed by the objective judgement of a healthcare supplier and idiosyncratic penchant and circumstances," the CDC says successful its caller guidance.
Alexander Tin contributed to this report.
Sara Moniuszko is simply a wellness and manner newsman astatine CBSNews.com. Previously, she wrote for USA Today, wherever she was selected to assistance motorboat the newspaper's wellness vertical. She present covers breaking and trending quality for CBS News' HealthWatch.
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