The California Biotechnology Foundation is committed to keeping you up to date about COVID-19 testing, treatment and prevention advancements. The following resources track what progress has been made as of June 3, 2022. Notable advancements include:

• Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and available for use by the end of the month.
• The Food and Drug Administration is expected to decide on authorization for the Pfizer and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines for infants through preschoolers soon after the agency’s committee of independent experts reviews the data on June 15.

Recent News

• Novavax hopes its tried-and-true shot wins over COVID-19 vaccine holdouts
  NBC News – June 2, 2022
  Americans may soon get a new COVID-19 vaccine option — shots made with a more tried-and-true technology than today’s versions. The big question: Why should they care? After long delays, the Food and Drug Administration is expected to decide within weeks whether to authorize Novavax’s vaccine. It’s late in the pandemic for a new choice, with about three-quarters of U.S. adults already vaccinated.
• COVID-19 vaccinations for children under age 5 to begin as early as June 21, White House says
  CNBC – June 2, 2022
  COVID-19 vaccinations for children under age 5 are expected to begin as early as June 21, a senior Biden administration health official said. The FDA is expected to make its decision on Pfizer and Moderna’s COVID-19 shots for infants through preschoolers soon after the agency’s committee of independent experts reviews the data on June 15, Jha said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would then issue its recommendations quickly after the FDA decision, which would allow vaccinations to begin after the Juneteenth federal holiday, he said.
• Pfizer’s Paxlovid reduces COVID-19 risk in seniors regardless of vaccine status -study
  Reuters – June 2, 2022
  Pfizer Inc’s antiviral treatment Paxlovid reduces COVID-19 hospitalization and death rates in vaccinated and unvaccinated patients 65 years and older, according to a new study in Israel conducted during the rise of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus
• COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy may protect infants
  University of Minnesota CIDRAP – June 2, 2022
  COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy protects babies from SARS-CoV-2 infection in their first 4 months of life, according to a study yesterday in JAMA Internal Medicine. In the cohort study, which included all infants born in Norway late last year and early this year, COVID-19 incidence was lower in babies born to women who received either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine during the second or third trimester of pregnancy.
• Why boosted Americans seem to be getting more COVID-19 infections
  CBS News – June 2, 2022
  As COVID-19 cases began to accelerate again this spring, federal data suggests the rate of breakthrough COVID infections in April was worse in boosted Americans compared to unboosted Americans — though rates of deaths and hospitalizations remained the lowest among the boosted. The new data do not mean booster shots are somehow increasing the risk. Ongoing studies continue to provide strong evidence of additional protection offered by booster shots against infection, severe disease, and death.
• If You Get COVID-19, Should You Try to Get Paxlovid? Here’s How (With or Without Health Insurance)
  KQED – June 1, 2022
  If you test positive for COVID-19 and have certain risk factors that increase your chances of becoming seriously ill, you may be eligible to start a COVID antiviral treatment like Paxlovid. Paxlovid is only available by prescription, and even if you get it prescribed, the next step is finding somewhere with enough supply to fill that prescription.
• COVID-19 vaccines can lower the risk of death by 34%
  Medical News Today – May 31, 2022
  COVID-19 vaccines can lower the risk of death by 34% and long COVID by 15% compared to the unvaccinated with SARS-CoV-2 infections, a new study has found. The researchers also observed that vaccines have been remarkably effective in fending off some of the worst long COVID symptoms, including lung and blood-clotting disorders. However, the researchers also found that mild breakthrough COVID-19 infections can trigger lingering, severe symptoms of long COVID even in vaccinated people. Experts say these findings highlight the need for new vaccines and ongoing safety protocols beyond immunizations to help prevent long COVID.
• Three jabs best for preventing COVID-19 infections, global analysis finds
  The Guardian – May 31, 2022
  Three doses of the same COVID-19 vaccine or a combination of jabs work equally well in preventing infections, according to the largest study of its kind. While the effectiveness of individual coronavirus vaccines is well known, the evidence around combinations of jabs has been less clear, especially for particular groups such as older people and those who are immunocompromised.
• How nasal COVID-19 vaccines can help prepare for infection where it starts
  PBS – May 30, 2022
  Imagine inhaling just a few drops of liquid or mist to get protected from COVID-19. That is the idea behind nasal COVID-19 vaccines, and they have been getting a lot of attention recently as a spray or liquid. These nasal vaccines would be based on the same technology as normal vaccines given by injection. But as Mayuresh Abhyankar, a University of Virginia researcher who studies infectious diseases and works on nasal vaccines, explains, vaccinating someone right where the coronavirus is likely to start its attack comes with many immunological benefits.
• Pfizer to offer low-cost medicines, vaccines to poor nations
  AP News – May 25, 2022
  Pfizer said that it will provide nearly two dozen products, including its top-selling COVID-19 vaccine and treatment, at not-for-profit prices in some of the world’s poorest countries. The drugmaker announced the program at the World Economic Forum’s annual gathering in Davos, Switzerland, and said it was aimed at improving health equity in 45 lower-income countries.