Month: October 2021

The vaccines advisory committee to the Food and Drug Administration voted on Tuesday to recommend that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine be approved for children between 5 and 11 years old. The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee convened to hear presentations for several hours before it held the vote. The FDA will consider the recommendation before deciding whether to grant emergency authorization for smaller doses vaccine for children in the younger age range. Last week, the pharma company said that the doses were better than 90% effective in children 5-11.

To date, fewer than 100 children between 5 and 11 have died from COVID-19 and 8,300 have been hospitalized, said Dr. Peter Marks, who heads the FDA vaccines division. If the FDA gives approval for the vaccine for younger children, it would also need to be approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.

On Monday, Moderna said that smaller doses of its vaccine in children of the same age group has proven to be safe and spurs an antibody response in recipients in late-stage clinical trials.

President Joe Biden nominated the Federal Communications Commission’s acting chairwoman, Jessica Rosenworcel, to fill the post permanently, which would make her the agency’s first female chief. Rosenworcel took over as acting head of the FCC on Jan. 21 after former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai stepped down from his role upon Biden’s inauguration. Rosenworcel has served eight years as a commissioner within the agency. She previously served as the senior communications counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

The White House said in a statement: “During her time at the agency, she has worked to promote greater opportunity, accessibility, and affordability in our communications services in order to ensure that all Americans get a fair shot at 21st century success. From fighting to protect an open internet, to ensuring broadband access for students caught in the Homework Gap through the FCC’s Emergency Connectivity Fund, to making sure that households struggling to afford internet service stay connected through the Emergency Broadband Benefit program, she has been a champion for connectivity for all.”

The White House also said Biden nominated Gigi Sohn to be a commissioner on the FCC, a distinguished fellow at the Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law & Policy and a Benton senior fellow and public advocate. Sohn previously served as counselor to former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. The White House said: “Gigi is one of the nation’s leading public advocates for open, affordable, and democratic communications networks. For over 30 years, Gigi has worked to defend and preserve the fundamental competition and innovation policies that have made broadband Internet access more ubiquitous, competitive, affordable, open, and protective of user privacy.”

If confirmed by the Senate, Rosenworcel would be the first woman to head the FCC. If Sohn is confirmed, she’ll be the first openly LGBTQ commissioner on the FCC.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Monday that the Biden administration will lift a nearly two-year travel suspension early next month, allowing fully vaccinated travelers from 33 countries to fly into the United States. The CDC said in a press release Monday that beginning Nov. 8, non-immigrant travelers will be permitted to travel to the United States if they are able to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated along with a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than three days before boarding their flight.

President Biden said in a proclamation announcing the order: “I have determined that it is in the interests of the United States to move away from the country-by-country restrictions previously applied during the COVID-19 pandemic and to adopt an air travel policy that relies primarily on vaccination to advance the safe resumption of international air travel to the United States.” The CDC added there would be “very limited” exceptions to the vaccination requirement for certain non-U.S. citizens who are not immigrants, including children younger than 18. For travelers who are not fully vaccinated, regulations will tighten to require that they provide a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than one day before traveling to the United States.

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Officials confirmed that two people were killed and at least four others injured — including a police officer — after a shooter opened fire in a mall in Boise, Idaho, on Monday afternoon. Boise Police Chief Ryan Lee said during a press conference that officers responded to reports of shots fired at the Boise Towne Square Mall at 1:50 p.m. where they exchanged gunfire with a person matching the description of the suspect.

Police Chief Lee added that the suspect was taken into custody following the shootout and police did not believe there were any additional suspects, saying: “At this time, the majority of the mall has been cleared. We’re still actively clearing the mall to both look for any additional concerns and any additional victims, but at this time we believe that there was only a single shooter involved and that there is no ongoing danger to the community at large from this incident.”  Lee did not provide any additional details regarding a potential motive for the shooting or the conditions of the injured victims, citing an ongoing investigation into the incident.

Idaho Gov. Brad Little offered condolences to the victims on Twitter, writing: “Those injured in today’s unthinkable shooting at the Boise Towne Square mall are in my prayers. The state of Idaho stands prepared to assist the Boise Police Department as they investigate the shooting.” Boise Mayor Lauren McLean also offered thanks to first responders and mall employees, saying during a press conference: “I want to thank the shopkeepers, the people in the mall that reacted so quickly to take care of folks that were there. You showed in a tough and chaotic moment how much you care and what you’re willing to do to support and care for strangers.”

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