Omicron variant

US FDA authorises Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna’s updated Covid shots

The UN agency says nations reported nearly 1.5 million new cases from July 10 to August 6, an 80 per cent increase compared with the previous 28 days.

Global Covid cases up 80% as new subvariant rises

Health workers attending to a Covid-19  patient in China. The Omicron data comes from a briefing by China’s top scientists to the UN agency’s technical advisory group as concerns grow about the rapid spread of the virus in the world’s No 2 economy.

Omicron subvariants driving China's latest Covid outbreak, says WHO

Vaccine-makers Pfizer and Moderna made presentations on Tuesday about their mRNA candidate vaccines, as did Novavax, about its protein subunit vaccine.

US medical experts call for Omicron-specific Covid-19 boosters

The stronger immunity, from booster shots and past infections, would “significantly impede” the circulation and transmission of the virus in the current wave, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung.

More than 12,000 new Covid-19 cases expected, but current wave likely less severe: Ong Ye Kung

Vials of the Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty Covid-19 vaccine. BioNTech and partner Pfizer Inc are counting on an Omicron-adapted vaccine to reinvigorate sales for the rest of the year.

BioNTech sinks as Covid vaccine sales and profit disappoint

Australian hospital admissions from Covid-19 hovered near the 5,000 level on Thursday but have fallen from the record 5,571 reached a week ago, official data showed.

Australia’s winter Covid-19 wave may have peaked early: health minister

Australia is in the grip of a third Omicron wave driven by the highly transmissible new subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5, with more than 300,000 cases recorded over the past 7 days.

Australians urged to work from home as winter Omicron wave swamps hospitals

According to the PEI and the European Medicines Agency, first approvals for updated Covid-19 vaccines could be given in September if the drugmakers prove their superiority over existing vaccines in human trials.

BioNTech in conflict with German regulator over new Covid vaccine approval

Covid-19 vaccines prevented nearly 20 million deaths in the first year after they were introduced, according to the first large modelling study on the topic, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Covid-19 vaccines saved 20 million lives in first year: study