Experts suggest updating vaccines for new variants. How does it work & what are the challenges?

It is easier to update certain vaccine platforms than others, say experts

Update COVID-19 vaccine to target omicron variants: Advisory panel to USFDA

Unclear which combination of updated vaccine will work best; body expected to decide by July

COVID-19: Omicron's stealthy behaviour behind reinfections in people with immunity, says new study

People infected with initial strains had less sustained antibody response to omicron, scientists find

COVID-19: What’s driving Portugal’s high caseload, toll despite impressive vaccination rates?

Around 87% of Portugal’s population is fully vaccinated & over 65% received boosters 

COVID-19 in South Africa: what to expect in the short and long term

Fallout from pandemic put significant obstacles in the way of managing patients with chronic illnesses

COVID-19: What we know so far about fresh case surge in South Africa

In April, more than half the samples sequenced in South Africa were reported as BA.4 and BA.5 

COVID-19: INSACOG shares genome sequencing data after a gap of 3 months 

India sequenced 89,860 samples between January and April, according to the latest bulletin. The total is now 240,570 sequenced samples  

Are booster doses for COVID-19 vaccines the new normal?

Making boosters integral to India’s containment strategy can trigger medical, ethical dilemmas 

WHO begins monitoring two new variants of COVID-19 named BA.4 and BA.5

The move comes in the footsteps of the global health body declaring two more variants in circulation named XE and XD

Shanghai COVID-19 update: No relief from lockdown in sight amid record case surge

Economic activities have come to a halt; military deployed to help tackle situation

COVID-19 update: Deltacron & omicron subvariant — 2 looming threats?

COVID-19 cases are on the rise in the United States, countries in Europe and Southeast Asia

COVID-19 update: Why are we at a ‘tip of iceberg’ again

The head of Israel’s COVID-19 response has however said there was no cause to worry as of now

COVID-19 resurgence: Cases rise in China, Europe and New Zealand

Hong Kong and New Zealand facing huge waves; situation in Hong Kong similar to India delta wave

China goes back to lockdowns amid worst COVID-19 outbreak in 2 years

The latest surge is driven by the omicron variant of COVID-19

New COVID-19 data: South Africa has arrived at the recovery stage of the pandemic

Another resurgence is likely, and there might well be another variant

COVID-19 cases, deaths on the decline in all regions except Western Pacific, Africa

Western Pacific Region and Africa recorded 21% and 20% increase in the number of new weekly deaths respectively

Winter surge: What latest IHME COVID-19 update hints at

Three-fourths of the United States is immune to an omicron infection and this figure is set to grow as the COVID-19 wave recedes

SARS-CoV-2 changes classic feature of virus becoming endemic: Shahid Jameel

Shahid Jameel, former head of the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium, speaks to DTE about how a virus mutates, the trajectory of COVID-19,…

South African scientists on the inside story of discovering omicron – and what their experience offers the world about future variants

The global community needs to make a stance that when countries start reporting data, they’re not going to be penalised for it, say South …

COVID-19: Kerala’s alarming positivity rate challenges earlier claims of effective containment

Over the last week, the number of cases added increased 191%

COVID-19 update: Why did UK call BA.2 a ‘variant under investigation’?

At least 40 countries have detected this omicron sub-lineage since November 17, 2021    

Omicron reinfection: How likely is it? Experts weigh in

The sensitivity of RT-PCR tests may play a role in this phenomenon, Indian researchers think

Lancet study flags breakthrough omicron infections after boosters

Cases of omicron infection noted among 7 Germans who visited South Africa; All had received at least 2 shots of an mRNA vaccine while 5 had …

Simply Put: It’s a deal, Omicron

COVID-19: New data on South Africa hospitalisations reveals how omicron dodges vaccines 

Some 22.6% of those hospitalised currently in South Africa are fully vaccinated against COVID-19