(Bloomberg) — The U.S. Food & Drug Administration authorized Pfizer Inc.’s Covid booster for 16 and 17 year olds. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio warned that hospitals in the most populous U.S. city could follow those upstate that are getting overwhelmed, as he defended his vaccine mandates and urged residents to get shots amid a post-Thanksgiving U.S. surge in cases.
New Hampshire is conducting a groundbreaking national experiment in offering free home delivery of rapid Covid tests to all residents. The World Health Organization said it’s best to give people two doses of the same Covid-19 vaccine, but added that mixing and matching is a good solution for countries facing supply constraints.
A study showed the omicron variant is 4.2 times more transmissible than the delta variant in its early stages, based on data from South Africa’s Gauteng province. Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum scheduled for next month in Davos is set to go ahead, even as Switzerland and other parts of Europe grapple with a fresh wave of coronavirus infections.
Key Developments:
- Virus Tracker: Cases top 267 million; deaths pass 5.2 million
- Home Covid Tests Snapped Up in Hard-Hit State as U.S. Tarries
- Omicron propels U.S. booster drive where it’s needed least
- What we know about omicron: QuickTake
- BI’s Sam Fazeli on the effectiveness of vaccine boosters against omicron
Amtrak Short Workers (12:45 pm NY)
Amtrak expects it won’t have enough employees to operate all its trains next month when it plans to enforce Covid-19 vaccine requirements.
As Amtrak prepares to comply with the federal vaccine mandate, it will likely need to temporarily reduce frequency, particularly on its long-distance services, Stephen J. Gardner, president of Amtrak, said in written testimony for a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing. About 94% of the rail company’s workers have been fully vaccinated as of this week. Read more here: Amtrak to Cut Service as Workforce Shrinks on Shot Refusals (1)
Railroads Suspend Mandates (11:am NY)
Union Pacific Corp. suspended an employee vaccine mandate after a federal judge in Georgia on Dec. 7 halted the Biden administration’s order requiring workers at federal contractors to get inoculated. The railroad is still encouraging its employees to get vaccinated and 73% have done so, it said by email. Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s BNSF Railway, Union Pacific’s largest competitor, said by email that it also halted its vaccine mandate following the court ruling.
South Africa’s Scientists Face Death Threats (11:40 a.m. NY)
South Africa’s top scientists and researchers at the forefront of the nation’s battle against the coronavirus are facing death threats and harassment, according to News24.
The hostile messaging follows the identification by South African scientists of a new highly mutated coronavirus variant, now named omicron, on Nov. 25. It’s now the dominant strain in a renewed surge of national infections and the government has started to discuss mandatory shots to beef up a flagging vaccination rate.
Read moere here: South Africa’s Top Covid Scientists Facing Death Threats
Pfizer Booster Expanded for Teenagers (11:30 a.m. NY)
The FDA amended the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Those 16 and 17 can get the booster at least six months after their second dose of the vaccine.
Pfizer’s Covid vaccine is the only one available for that age group. Vaccines made by Moderna Inc. and Johnson & Johnson are approved for those 18 and older.
De Blasio Defends Mandate (11:12 a.m. NY)
De Blasio urged New Yorkers not to let city hospitals get overwhelmed, as some have upstate. The mayor this week announced a vaccine mandate for private-sector workers. A judge next week will hear arguments over whether to halt his mandate for municipal workers.
In an interview on Hot 97 Thursday, de Blasio pointed to hospitals in areas such as Buffalo that are near capacity. Governor Kathy Hochul has ordered 32 hospitals — including three in Buffalo — to halt elective surgeries to deal with the Covid patient surges.
“The urgency I’m feeling is we can move now before we end up in that situation,” he said. “Biggest city in America, densely populated, we cannot let that happen here.”
Germany Advises Vaccines for 5-11 Year Olds (9:14 a.m. NY)
Germany’s vaccine authority advises children aged five to 11 years old who have a pre-existing condition, or are in regular contact with people who are at a higher risk, get vaccinated against Covid-19. Children in this age group not at risk can receive a vaccine if parents choose to do so.
World Economic Forum to Go Ahead (9:00 a.m. NY)
The World Economic Forum scheduled for next month in Davos is set to go ahead, even as European countries grapple with a fresh wave of coronavirus infections.
The event “will provide a key platform for global health leaders to meet with government and business at the highest level to move forward,” a WEF spokesman said in an emailed statement. “Switzerland is open to international travel and events, conducted under sensible and strict public health measures.”
EU to Agree Travel Pass Validity (8:30 a.m. NY)
European Union member states are expected to agree on a nine-month validity for travel certificates, Reuters reports, citing an unidentified EU official and EU diplomat.
AIDS Therapy Can Reduce Mutations (8:30 a.m. NY)
South Africa should boost the provision of antiretroviral drugs for millions of people infected with HIV to potentially reduce the chance of new Covid-19 variants to emerge, scientists said.
A study showed that HIV, advanced cancer and some other diseases which suppress immune systems allow other infections to take hold. Antiretroviral therapy restores the body’s ability to fight off infections.
EU Ready to Quickly Review Vaccines (8:29 a.m. NY)
The European Union’s drugs regulator is ready to “take rapid action” to review and approve Covid-19 vaccines if they need to be tweaked to address the new omicron variant. But the head of the bloc’s vaccine strategy, Marco Cavaleri, notes it’s still too early to know whether the composition of shots will need to change.
Children Hospital Admissions in Gauteng (8:07 a.m. NY)
Children under the age of five accounted for 8% of hospital admissions for Covid-19 in Gauteng, the epicenter of South Africa’s omicron variant outbreak, in the week ended Dec. 4, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases said in a report on Thursday.
That compared with 14% two weeks earlier, the NICD said.
WHO Recommendation on Vaccine Mixing (6:36 p.m. HK)
A World Health Organization panel said it’s best to give people two doses of the same Covid-19 vaccine, but mixing and matching is a good solution for countries facing supply constraints.
Vaccine combinations, already used by some governments, could help low- and middle-income countries manage stockpiles and deal with vaccine shortages as the new omicron variant spreads. European Union regulators endorsed mixing two different shots for initial vaccine schedules and boosters on Tuesday.
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