Between 60 to 75 percent of new COVID-19 diagnoses are now said to be attributed the BA.5 variant. Health officials have advised anyone who has not had a second booster to do so now, with fears that existing immunity could
COVID-19
A Solemn Milestone
Today, President Biden announced that one million persons have died in the United States due to Covid. Unfortunately, deaths from Covid-19 are on the rise again sparked by Omicron variants. The data on new cases are getting less reliable due…
COVID-19 Update: New Variants and Vaccine Research
During a recent Q&A, a representative with the World Health Organization warned that the Omicron variant is not the last of its kind. Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove explained that the next variant is likely to be more transmissible and could…
COVID-19 Update: More Reflections on a Pandemic
Two years ago tomorrow, Norton Rose Fulbright shared the first of its many blog updates regarding the Coronavirus and the global pandemic that was about to unfold. On January 22, 2020, we shared news from the CDC that confirmed the…
COVID-19 Update: US Supreme Court decisions stay OSHA ETS, uphold CMS vaccine mandate
In a 6-3 decision handed down on Thursday, January 13, 2022, the US Supreme Court ordered a stay on the federal OSHA COVID “vaccine-or-test” Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS). The stay is predicated on the Court’s finding that the petitioners’ challenges…
COVID-19 Update: New CDC Guidance About the Omicron Variant
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) reported that the Omicron variant has been detected in all but sixteen of the United States. The Delta variant continues to be the main variant circulating in the United States, however. The…
COVID-19 Update: Omicron- The New Variant of the Coronavirus
On Friday, November 26, 2021, the World Health Organization (“WHO”) reported a new variant of COVID-19, the Omicron variant, was detected in South Africa. There is no indication the new variant is more contagious or more lethal, or that it…
CMS Issues COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Interim Final Rule
On November 4, 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an interim final rule requiring that Medicare-certified providers implement policies for vaccination of all health care workers against COVID-19. Compliance with the requirement will be a Condition…
COVID-19 Update: Panel of FDA Vaccine Advisers Vote in Favor of Vaccination for Children
On Tuesday, October 26, 2021, the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee members voted to approve vaccinations for children aged 5 through 11. Specifically, the panel addressed the following question: “Based on the totality of scientific evidence available,…
COVID-19 Update: White House Plan for Vaccinating Children
On Wednesday, October 20, 2021, the White House discussed in a press conference its plan for vaccinating children aged 5 through 11. The White House stated it has worked closely with “governors, pediatricians, pharmacies, community health centers, rural health centers,…