COVID-19

South Korea approves first homemade COVID-19 vaccine SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Health officials in South Korea on Wednesday approved the country's first domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine for people 18 years or older, adding another public health tool in the fight against a prolonged pandemic. AP NEWS

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In clinical trials involving some 4,000 participants in South Korea and five other countries, SK Bioscience’s two-dose SKYCovione vaccine appeared to be more effective than the broadly used AstraZeneca shots in building immunity against infections, officials at South Korea’s Food and Drug Safety Ministry said. ...

The Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 have together become dominant in the U.S., the C.D.C. estimates

Continuing their rapid march across the United States, the Omicron subvariants known as BA.4 and BA.5 have together become dominant among new coronavirus cases, according to new estimates on Tuesday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As of the week ending Saturday, BA.4 made up 15.7 percent of new cases, and BA.5 was 36.6 percent, accounting for about 52 percent of new cases in the United States, numbers that experts said should rise in the weeks to come.

Millions remain unboosted, as scientists say 3rd COVID shot provides 'significant' protection Older Americans — people over 50 — have proven to be more likely to receive their first COVID-19 booster. ABC News ABC News

... new federal data reveals a significant proportion of Americans have yet to receive their first and second boosters.