omicron

The immune-evading COVID-19 variants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 are continuing to rise in New England, with their share of cases nearly doubling each of the past two weeks. BQ.1 and and BQ.1.1 now account for approximately 20% of all coronavirus cases in the region, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s almost double the 13% figure...

Students attending classes at Harvard University early next year will be required to receive the new bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster. All students who will be on campus from January onward and who do not have religious or medical exemptions must have received the new booster, which targets the omicron variant and its subvariants. The announcement was made Monday by Dr….

The U.S. on Wednesday authorized updated COVID-19 boosters for children as young as 5, seeking to expand protection ahead of an expected winter wave.

Pfizer is asking the Food and Drug Administration to expand use of its updated COVID-19 booster shot to children ages 5 to 11.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending omicron-specific COVID-19 booster shots for people 12 and older. Here’s how to get yours in all the New England states. The new booster from Pfizer-BioNtech and Moderna are bivalent vaccines, which means they target two strains — in this case the original SARS-CoV-2 and the omicron BA.5 subvariant, which is…

President Joe Biden will deliver remarks on Thursday highlighting arrival of new COVID-19 vaccine boosters that have been updated to target the most common omicron strains currently in circulation.

Pfizer has asked U.S. regulators to authorize its combination COVID-19 vaccine that adds protection against the newest omicron strains: the BA.4 and BA.5 variants.

While COVID-19 cases are declining overall, experts are worried the trend could change due to the two new subvariants.

Dr. Gabriela Andujar Vazquez of Tufts Medical Center, talks about the latest on COVID subvariant BA.4.6, child vaccination rates and concerns about rising monkeypox cases in Massachusetts as college students prepare to return to campus during NBC10 Boston’s weekly series, “COVID Q&A.”

COVID super dodgers, people who have never been infected with COVID-19, are becoming an even more exclusive club now that the BA.5 omicron subvariant has taken over.

Top Boston doctors talk about the latest on BA.5, COVID “super dodgers,” drone test deliveries and vaccine development during NBC10 Boston’s weekly series, “COVID Q&A.”

Omicron subvariant BA.5 — the fastest-spreading COVID-19 subvariant yet — appears to evade some protections from vaccines and previous infections more easily than any others before. The highly contagious BA.5 omicron subvariant has taken over as the dominant coronavirus strain in recent weeks and is fueling concerns about a potential summer surge. As of July 16, subvariant BA.5 was responsible for more...

Top Boston doctors talk about BA.5 symptoms, new Boston mask guidance and the CDC ending its program for cruise ships during NBC10 Boston’s weekly series, “COVID Q&A.”

The highly-contagious BA.4 and BA.5 omicron subvariants now account for about 90% of all COVID-19 cases in New England and across the U.S., according to Tuesday’s update from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The BA.5 variant is now responsible for 77.1% of the region’s cases, followed by BA.4 at 12.3%, BA.2.12.1 at 10.1% and BA.2 at 0.5%….

As the U.S. battles the rapidly spreading BA.5 omicron subvariant, a new mutant that could compete with the highly contagious strain is on the horizon. Scientists say the variant – called BA.2.75 – may be able to evade immunity from vaccines and prior infection. The latest mutant has been spotted in several distant states in India and appears to be…

The omicron variants have shown a remarkable ability to get around the protection offered by infection and vaccination.

The highly-contagious BA.5 omicron subvariant now accounts for 60% of all COVID-19 cases in New England and 65% across the U.S., according to Tuesday’s update from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The BA.5 variant is now responsible for 59.7% of the region’s cases, followed by BA.2.12.1 at 22.3%, BA.4 at 16.8% and BA.2 at 1.2%. Until last…

Infectious disease experts are worried that the fastest-spreading COVID-19 subvariants yet — the two latest versions of omicron — could drive a new wave of infections.

Infectious disease experts are worried that the fastest-spreading COVID-19 subvariants yet — the two latest versions of omicron — could drive a new wave of infections. The new highly-contagious omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5, appear to evade protection from vaccines and previous infections more easily than any others before. They account for more than half of all COVID-19 cases in New England...

The subvariants are now responsible for 70% of new coronavirus cases, and their immunity to existing vaccines has concerned scientists. Here’s what you need to know about the subvariants.