Respiratory Infections News

COVID-19 vaccination rates differ significantly among people with HIV, researchers found.

An initiative launched in dozens of Michigan hospitals more than doubled the rate of appropriate antibiotic prescribing for patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia, researchers reported.

President Joe Biden on Thursday announced a new nine-point plan to combat COVID-19 during the winter months that will make at-home tests free and tighten restrictions on people traveling to the United States.

In a new study, both messenger RNA vaccines available in the U.S. demonstrated high effectiveness against COVID-19, although the Moderna vaccine was associated with a lower risk for infection and hospitalization than the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Merck announced Wednesday that the FDA has accepted for priority review a supplemental biologics license application for Vaxneuvance, the company’s 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, for use in infants and children.

Genomic testing at the University of California, San Francisco, and the CDC confirmed the first reported case of COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant in the United States, officials announced Wednesday.

Pfizer and BioNTech are expected to request soon that the FDA authorize a booster shot of their COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 16 and 17 years, according to multiple reports.

The CDC has strengthened its recommendation for COVID-19 booster shots, saying all adults should get one, when eligible.

President Joe Biden said Monday that his administration is “already working” with COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers “to develop contingency plans for vaccines and boosters” against the omicron variant if they are needed.

Higher inhaled corticosteroid dose may be a risk factor for Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in patients with severe COPD, according to data published in BMJ Open Respiratory Research.