Pfizer announced Saturday that tweaking its COVID-19 vaccine to better target the omicron variant is safe and works — just days before regulators debate whether to offer Americans updated booster shots this fall.
Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine could become second to win full approval following Pfizer/BioNTech.
Full approval is expected to open the door to more vaccine mandates and perhaps increase uptake by some people who are vaccine hesitant.
The CDC said masks should be worn at all times by all people in school facilities and buses, while maintaining a six foot distance between teachers and students.
The vaccine, made by Janssen, J&J's vaccine arm, is safe and effective, and it's considered flexible. It's a single dose, and it doesn't require special storage.
That doesn't mean they should stop taking precautions, the CDC noted in updated guidance. It's just not necessary for them to quarantine.
If the FDA decides to authorize the vaccine, next the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices meets to discuss whether the vaccine should be given to Americans and if so, who should get it first.
Just under 3 million Americans have received the COVID-19 vaccine.
This comes as Kentucky received the first shipment of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday.
It plans to enter into agreements with the federal government to distribute the vaccine upon its approval, Walmart Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tom Van Gilder said in a news release.