Top in ID: US responds to Omicron variant, FDA approves novel HBV vaccine

Information related to the new omicron variant, including the United States’ response to it and details of its first case in the U.S., made up most of the top stories in infectious disease last week.

The other top story discussed the FDA’s approval of a novel three-antigen hepatitis B vaccine for adults.

Read the top stories in infectious disease below:

Citing omicron variant, CDC says all adults should get COVID-19 booster

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

Omicron variant ‘a cause for concern, not a cause for panic,’ Biden says

President Joe Biden said on Nov.29 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. Read more.

FDA approves trivalent HBV for adults

VBI Vaccines announced that the FDA has approved the company’s recombinant trivalent hepatitis B vaccine, PreHevbrio, for adults aged 18 years or older. Read more.

‘Just a matter of time’: First omicron case in US reported in San Francisco

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 said on Dec. 1. Read more.

Biden’s winter COVID-19 plan includes free at-home tests

On Dec. 2, President Joe Biden 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. Read more.