UK to offer COVID vaccine to all children 5-11 LONDON (AP) — British authorities will offer a coronavirus vaccine to almost six million children from age 5 to 11, officials said Wednesday. The government said young children will be offered a low-dose COVID-19 shot on a “non-urgent” basis beginning in April in England. AP NEWS

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Estimated 73% of US now immune to omicron: Is that enough? The omicron wave that assaulted the United States this winter also bolstered its defenses, leaving enough protection against the coronavirus that future spikes will likely require much less — if any — dramatic disruption to society. AP NEWS

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Millions of individual Americans’ immune systems now recognize the virus and are primed to fight it off if they encounter omicron, or even another variant.

Child Covid-19 hospitalizations rose amid Omicron, especially among children too young to be vaccinated Covid-19 hospitalization rates among children increased as Omicron replaced Delta as the predominant coronavirus variant in the United States, especially among those under 5, who are not eligible to be vaccinated, according to a study published Tuesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Deidre McPhillips, CNN CNN

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Drug overdose deaths reach record high New data out Wednesday from the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that overdose deaths hit a record high last year. Monique Beals TheHill

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Experts have said the trend is likely to continue even after the pandemic's impact on daily life becomes less significant. 

BioNTech plans modular vaccine factories in Africa BERLIN (AP) — German vaccine maker BioNTech, which developed the first widely approved shot against COVID-19 together with Pfizer, unveiled plans Wednesday to establish manufacturing facilities in Africa that would boost the availability of much-needed medicines on the continent. AP NEWS

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More virus rules fall as CDC hints at better times ahead The nation's leading health officials said Wednesday that the U.S. is moving closer to the point that COVID-19 is no longer a “constant crisis” as more cities, businesses and sports venues began lifting pandemic restrictions around the country. AP NEWS

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CDC expected to update mask guidance as early as next week The agency is finalizing details even as most states have already lifted indoor mask requirements. NBC News

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to loosen its indoor masking guidelines to states soon, according to several people familiar with the matter. The agency’s update could come as early as next week...

States are quickly ending mask mandates. But some exceptions remain. The mandates in California and Connecticut expire Tuesday. NBC News

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The changes come despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s continuing recommendation that masks be used indoors in most of the country...