The FDA authorized reformulated COVID-19 booster vaccines based on test results in mice along with the data from the earlier version of a bivalent vaccine. Although some worry that animal studies aren't reliable enough, health officials are confident that the new booster is safe and effective.
| Headlines for a healthier you | | | Updated COVID-19 Boosters Are Coming |  | | The FDA authorized reformulated COVID-19 booster vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna today. The new shots—known as bivalent vaccines—will target the original strain of COVID-19 and Omicron subvariants like BA.4 and BA.5. Pending CDC signoff, the shots might be available shortly after Labor Day. | | Know More | | People aged 12 and above are eligible for Pfizer's bivalent booster 2 months after their most recent shot. For Moderna's shot, the interval is also 2 months but the age requirement is 18 and above. | | Feel Better | | The FDA made its decision based on test results in mice along with the data from the earlier version of a bivalent vaccine. Although some worry that animal studies aren't reliable enough, health officials are confident that the new booster is safe and effective—and doling out new booster shots is a race against emerging variants. | | |  | What Else Should You Know | | | Working out 20 minutes a day keeps the doctors away. Researchers found that people who exercise regularly have an 11% lower risk of contracting COVID-19 than those who don't. And for the physically active, even if they do catch COVID-19, they're less likely to become severely ill. | | | | | | An Italian greyhound in Paris was the first dog to have caught monkeypox from its owners earlier this month. Since monkeypox is a zoonotic disease, it's possible (but rare) for the virus to spread between humans and animals. If your pet was exposed to monkeypox, practice isolation protocols and watch out for symptoms such as coughing, lack of appetite, and skin rash. | | | | |  | In Other News | | - China's Heat Wave Is Creating Havoc for Electric Vehicle Drivers. MIT Technology Review
- The 'Climate Dystopia' Displacing Millions of Pakistanis. Grist
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