
COVID vaccines do not need to be changed for Omicron "at this time," says Fauci
CBSN
COVID-19 vaccines do not currently need to be changed to target the Omicron variant, the president's chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said Wednesday at a White House press briefing.
"Our booster vaccine regimens work against Omicron. At this point, there is no need for a variant-specific booster," Fauci said.
He cited early results from a number of studies, including a forthcoming pre-print from the National Institutes of Health's Vaccine Research Center, showing that the Omicron variant "undoubtedly compromises" the antibodies offered by the first two shots of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines against infection but that a third dose can substantially restore protection.

Yangon — Myanmar's military leader lauded President Trump and asked him to lift sanctions, the ruling junta said Friday, after a tariff letter from the U.S. president that it has taken as Washington's first public recognition of its rule. Min Aung Hlaing endorsed Mr. Trump's false claim that the 2020 U.S. election was stolen, and thanked him for shutting down funding for U.S.-backed media outlets that have long provided independent coverage of conflict-wracked Myanmar.

After years of unsuccessful attempts to finance and build a public alarm network that would warn residents of Kerr County, Texas, about dangerous flooding, officials in the region, nicknamed "flash flood alley," were going to start developing a centralized flood monitoring system this summer to help leaders and emergency managers plan ahead.

Washington — The Senate is expected to vote next week on a request from the White House to claw back funding for international aid and public broadcasting. But the funding for rural radio and television stations — sometimes an area's sole source for emergency warnings and other news — has sparked concern among some Senate Republicans, especially after the recent devastating flash floods in Texas.