Both FDA and CDC have given the nod for Americans aged 50 years and up to receive a second booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine from Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech. Older adults should wait at least four months after receiving an initial booster before getting a fourth dose, and the brand of vaccine they received earlier is not a factor. The extra layer of protection is "especially important for those 65 and older and those 50 and older with underlying medical conditions that increase their risk for severe disease from COVID-19 as they are the most likely to benefit from receiving an additional booster dose at this time," said CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD. In other moves, FDA also authorized a second [...]

In mid-February 2022, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed several pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reforms into law, including bills that prohibit discrimination against pharmacies that PBMs do not have a relationship with solely because of that lack of relationship. Licensure House Bill 4348 requires PBMs to have licenses and file transparency reports with state officials to provide information to consumers about the “backend cost and profits of the medications they are prescribed.” The Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) will be responsible for regulating PBMs licenses. The new laws also prohibit PBMs from forcing pharmacists to sign “gag clauses” that prevent them from telling consumers that they can purchase drugs out-of-pocket for cheaper than their insurance co-pays. Additionally, Michigan has become the [...]

White House officials say there are insufficient funds to buy a potential fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine for everyone in the country. Administration officials say they have obtained enough doses to cover a fourth dose for individuals aged 65 years and older and the initial regimen for children younger than age 5 years, if regulators determine these doses are necessary. However, the officials note they cannot put in advance orders for additional vaccine doses for other age groups unless Congress pushes through a stalled $15 billion funding package. White House coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients said in an upcoming episode of "In The Bubble With Andy Slavitt," which was recorded Monday and shared with the Washington Post: "Right now, we don't have [...]

The coronavirus vaccines most widely used in the United States remained highly effective at preventing the worst outcomes from infections even in the face of the highly transmissible omicron variant in January, a report released Friday by federal disease trackers shows. While protection against mild illness waned over time, the mRNA vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech provided a robust shield against death and needing mechanical ventilation, the study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found. The study bolsters confidence in the vaccines to prevent the most serious outcomes for covid-19 patients, even after the omicron variant fueled an increase in cases, hospitalizations and deaths this winter, said William Moss, executive director of the International Vaccine Access Center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg [...]

Pfizer Inc. and partner BioNTech SE have asked U.S. health regulators to authorize a second booster dose of their Covid-19 vaccine for people 65 years and older. The companies said Tuesday that they had filed the application. The Food and Drug Administration is expected to make a decision in time for the Biden administration to begin a potential fall vaccine campaign. The FDA has been reviewing data and looking at potentially authorizing a fourth dose of the shot for use in the fall, The Wall Street Journal reported last month. Health authorities have cleared booster doses for children as young as 12 years of age, at least five months after they finished their first round of vaccination. Health authorities have been urging people to [...]