Pfizer seeks to expand omicron booster to 5- to 11-year-olds
The hope is that the modified boosters will help tamp down continuing COVID-19 cases and blunt another winter surge.
U.S. watchdog estimates $45.6B in pandemic unemployment fraud
The new estimate is a dramatic increase from the roughly $16 billion in potential fraud identified a year ago, and it illustrates the immense task still ahead of Washington as it seeks to pinpoint the losses, recover the funds and hold criminals accountable.
4.4M Americans roll up sleeves for omicron-targeted boosters
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted the count Thursday as public health experts bemoaned President Joe Biden’s recent remark that “the pandemic is over.”
FDA releasing millions of Moderna boosters after delay at Indiana plant
The FDA’s inspection was focused on production issues at a Bloomington-based plant operated by Catalent, which is helping to bottle and package Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.
U.S. charges ‘brazen’ theft of $250M from pandemic food program
Federal prosecutors said the 47 defendants used a complex web of shell companies and bribes to obtain federal pandemic funds in the names of children who did not exist and then spent that money on luxury cars, houses and other personal purchases.
COVID shots for young kids arrived in June. Few have received them.
Doctors and public health experts never expected there would be so little interest in vaccines for young children.
New survey looks at pandemic’s impact on U.S. daily lives
During the first two years of the pandemic, the number of people working from home tripled, home values grew and the percentage of people who spent more than a third of their income on rent went up, according to survey results released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau.
U.S. sent $1.3B in small-business COVID aid abroad, raising new fraud fears
In total, the Small Business Administration made 41,638 awards to applicants that pursued that aid using computers believed to be located abroad, according to the agency’s inspector general.
Regenstrief, IU land CDC grant to study ‘long COVID’
The partners will utilize the Indiana Network for Patient Care, which was created by Regenstrief and is managed by the Indiana Health Information Exchange, to mine data from electronic health records.
A year later, fight continues over vaccine mandates
In recent months, current and former employees of drugmaker Eli Lilly and Co., medical-equipment maker Roche Diagnostics and health care system Ascension St. Vincent have filed suit in federal district court, claiming their religious views and civil liberties were violated.
U.S. plans shift to annual coronavirus shots, similar to flu vaccine
The federal government has purchased more than 170 million doses of the updated boosters, and doses began shipping last week, following authorization by the Food and Drug Administration.
CDC endorses updated COVID-19 booster shots
CDC’s advisers deemed the updated injections the best option considering the U.S. still is experiencing tens of thousands of COVID-19 cases and about 500 deaths every day—even before an expected new winter wave.
White House puts pause on free at-home COVID-19 tests
Public health experts said the decision will make it harder for people to access coronavirus tests, especially for those who are uninsured, live in remote areas far from distribution centers or face mobility issues.
U.S. life expectancy plunged again in 2021, down nearly a year
In the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the estimated American lifespan has shortened by nearly three years. The last comparable decrease happened in the early 1940s, during the height of World War II.
FDA clears updated COVID boosters targeting newest variants
The move by the Food and Drug Administration tweaks the recipe of shots made by Pfizer and rival Moderna that already have saved millions of lives. The hope is that the modified boosters will blunt yet another winter surge.
Despite federal COVID funding inaction, Indiana still has plenty left to spend
Indiana still has 43% of its $1 billion-plus in federal COVID-19 grants left to spend, according to Indiana State Department of Health data.
Moderna sues Pfizer over patents behind COVID-19 vaccine
COVID-19 vaccine maker Moderna accuses competitors Pfizer and BioNTech of copying Moderna’s technology in order to make their own vaccine.
Study: Pfizer COVID pill showed no benefit in younger adults
The researchers found that Paxlovid reduced hospitalizations among people 65 and older by roughly 75% when given shortly after infection. But people between the ages of 40 and 65 saw no measurable benefit, according to the analysis of medical records.
IRS to wipe away $1.2 billion in late fees from pandemic
The IRS estimates that nearly 1.6 million taxpayers will receive more than $1.2 billion worth of penalty relief. The tax agency will automatically issue the refunds or credits for most of the fees by the end of September.
Pfizer seeks OK of updated COVID vaccine booster for fall
Pfizer asked U.S. regulators Monday to authorize its combination COVID-19 vaccine that adds protection against the newest omicron relatives—a key step toward opening a fall booster campaign.
Resources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC Resources for Businesses and Employers OSHA Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 Indiana State Department of Health Indy Chamber Rapid Response Hub Small Business Administration The SBA is making low-interest loans for working capital available to Indiana small businesses. Indiana Unemployment Information Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Dashboard Critical Industries Hotline(for business and industry only)
877-820-0890
covidresponse@iedc.in.gov State’s virus-related executive orders State plan to reopen Indiana