Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine

A man receives the fifth Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine from medical staff at Clalit Health services in Tel Aviv, Israel, September 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

September 22, 2022, 10:53 pm

Israel begins rollout of COVID vaccines tailored to Omicron

Health authorities recommend those 65 and up receive vaccine along with other at-risk groups

By AP

Illustrative image: a man receives his fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, at a Clallit vaccine center in Jerusalem on January 3, 2022. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)

September 20, 2022, 11:24 am

Clinics to begin rollout of variant-tailored COVID shots this week

Elderly and at-risk to be given priority; unclear whether vaccines will immediately be available to all, with lethargic response expected from public

By Nathan Jeffay

Illustrative image: an Israeli woman receives a coronavirus vaccine at the Hadassah Medical Center, in Jerusalem, on January 6, 2022. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)

September 15, 2022, 6:46 am

Israelis to start getting new variant-tailored shots by end of month — COVID czar

Second-generation vaccines being distributed to healthcare providers, as scientific community waits expectantly to see how much they help

By Nathan Jeffay

Illustrative image: A health worker prepares a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination clinic in Chester, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

September 6, 2022, 1:41 pm

New Omicron-busting shots score a point in race against variants – expert

Vaccines will increase protection even though Omicron has already changed since they were developed, says Bar-Ilan epidemiologist

By Nathan Jeffay

Illustrative: A woman wears a face mask, to prevent against the spread of coronavirus, at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels, May 19, 2020. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)

September 2, 2022, 7:39 pm

EU says new COVID strains may soon emerge, but vaccines should remain effective

27-nation bloc preparing to roll out booster campaign ahead of feared wave of new cases come winter

By AFP

This August 2022 photo provided by Pfizer shows vials of the company's updated COVID-19 vaccine during production in Kalamazoo, Michigan. (Pfizer via AP)

August 31, 2022, 8:42 pm

US FDA authorizes updated COVID boosters tailored to new subvariants

Following CDC approval, new ‘bivalent’ shots — which are half the original vaccine and half an Omicron-targeted version — expected to roll out across America

By LAURAN NEERGAARD

A vial of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, on a table at an inoculation station next to Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi, on July 19, 2022. (AP Photo/ Rogelio V. Solis)

August 26, 2022, 5:20 pm

Moderna sues Pfizer, BioNTech over patents behind COVID vaccine

Massachusetts-based firm accuses rival and its partner of copyright infringement, filing suit in both US and German courts

By Tom Murphy

A syringe is prepared with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination clinic at the Keystone First Wellness Center in Chester, Pennsylvania, December 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

July 30, 2022, 9:17 pm

Sealing deals with vaccine makers, US plans Omicron booster rollout in the fall

FDA says tweaked Pfizer and Moderna shots to be available as early as September, but urges fourth dose of existing vaccine for eligible adults

By MATTHEW PERRONE and LAURAN NEERGAARD

July 17, 2022, 5:31 pm

UK study: Omicron subvariant 4 times more resistant to vaccines

US doctor calls BA.5 ‘hypercontagious’ and WHO says pandemic ‘nowhere near over’ as virus continues to mutate worldwide and cause concern among experts

By Michael Horovitz and AP

An elderly Israeli man receives a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, at vaccination center soon after fourth shots were introduced. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)

July 10, 2022, 10:04 pm

Major Israeli study: COVID death rate among elderly slashed by 72% after 4th vaccine

Israel raced to give extra boosters before most countries in December; research also shows shots cut hospitalization by over 60%; says study author: ‘They’re lifesavers’

By Nathan Jeffay

Three-year-old Sofia Espinoza receives the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at Children's Hospital Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California, June 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

July 5, 2022, 5:36 pm

Israel gives final nod to COVID shots for under-5s, stops short of recommendation

Health Ministry director-general approves Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for age 6 months and up, but rejects panel’s guidance to endorse shots for high-risk babies and toddlers

By Amy Spiro

Albert Bourla, Chief Executive Officer, Pfizer, speaks at a Press Conference on Pfizer and Partners Announce Accord for a Healthier World at the 51st annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos, Switzerland, May 25, 2022. (Gian Ehrenzeller/Keystone via AP)

June 27, 2022, 4:18 pm

Pfizer CEO to Israeli TV: Omicron shots ready for use as soon as FDA approves

Albert Bourla insists his company’s original vaccine is safe for children as young as 6 months, says he’s aiming to create vaccine that offers yearlong protection

By TOI staff

June 25, 2022, 7:24 pm

Pfizer says tweaked COVID vaccine boosts Omicron protection

Pharma firm announces it has ‘two very strong’ candidates against the coronavirus variant, as US regulators set to weigh whether to offer updated boosters

By LAURAN NEERGAARD

Illustrative: Syringes and colorful bandages are prepared as children from local schools prepare to get COVID-19 vaccines in Pittsfield, Mass., on December 13, 2021. (Ben Garver/The Berkshire Eagle via AP, File)

June 17, 2022, 11:49 pm

FDA authorizes first COVID-19 vaccine for US infants and preschoolers

Approval means roughly 18 million youngsters under 5 in America are now eligible for the shots; rollout expected to start next week but unclear how much demand there will be

By Lindsey Tanner

A boy receives a dose of China's Sinovac COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine at a community vaccination center in Hong Kong on Feb. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

June 15, 2022, 11:03 pm

FDA advisers approve COVID-19 vaccines for kids under 5

Reviewers say Moderna and Pfizer shots appear safe and effective for children as young as 6 months old, with side effects minor and less common than in adults

By Mike Stobbe and Lindsey Tanner