Omicron: The first cases of the new coronavirus omicron variant were identified in the United States, with President Joe Biden calling the strain a “cause for concern, not a cause for panic.” He also announced a plan to combat COVID-19 this winter, including tightening testing rules for travelers to the United States, allowing private health insurance to cover rapid, at-home test kits and extending mask mandates on public transportation through March, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that all adults get a booster shot.
Vaccine tweaks: BioNTech SE and Moderna Inc. are both adjusting their COVID-19 vaccines in case changes are needed to fight the omicron variant. The Food and Drug Administration is also preparing to speed the review of potential vaccines and drugs targeting the variant, people familiar with the matter said, with agency officials meeting with drugmakers and establishing guidelines for research.
Abortion rights: The Supreme Court’s conservative majority signaled that it will uphold a Mississippi law banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy after hearing oral arguments in the case, which could reverse or significantly weaken the landmark 1973 decision Roe v. Wade that established the constitutional right to abortion. The court is expected to rule in June.
Antivirals: An FDA advisory panel endorsed Merck & Co. and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LP’s COVID-19 antiviral pill for patients at high risk of severe illness, meaning the treatment could be available to patients within weeks if the agency authorizes it. Even so, the group’s narrow 13-10 vote reflects concerns about the pill’s effectiveness.
Vaccine mandate: A federal court in Louisiana blocked the Biden administration’s vaccine requirement for health care workers across the country, except in the 10 states where the rule has already been paused, saying that the government lacked “such powerful authority” to issue the mandate.
