COVID spread fears grow as China unwinds zero-tolerance curbs As many Chinese embraced new freedoms after Beijing dropped parts of its tough COVID regime, concerns mounted that the virus, which had largely been kept in check, could soon run wild. Brenda Goh,Ella Cao Reuters

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Senate report spotlights systemic problems behind early COVID response missteps The 242-page document is the latest to retrace early U.S. shortcomings to address the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. CBS News

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While some of the details are new, the report's authors acknowledge several of their ultimate findings stem from systemic problems known long before President Donald Trump took office.

U.S. FDA authorizes Moderna, Pfizer updated COVID boosters for 6 months old The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday authorized updated COVID-19 booster shots from Moderna and Pfizer and its partner BioNTech for children as young as 6 months of age. Reuters Reuters

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Omicron boosters are weaker against BQ.1.1 subvariant that is rising in U.S., study finds

Covid shots designed to protect against the omicron variant trigger a weaker immune response against the rapidly emerging BQ.1.1 subvariant than the previously dominant strain, according to a new lab study.

Scientists at the University of Texas Medical Branch, in a study published online Tuesday in Nature Medicine, found that the booster shots performed well against the BA.5 subvariant they were designed to target.