US pharmacy chains gear up to administer updated COVID shots U.S. drugstore chains CVS Health and Walgreens Boots Alliance said on Wednesday that updated COVID-19 vaccines would be available at their stores as soon as this week. Reuters Reuters

...

Shots were being delivered in some locations on Wednesday, including at a Northwell Health facility in New York.

...

Opinion | This Isn't COVID's Final Act We must keep the virus, and long COVID, center stage Stuart Katz, MD, Alice Perlowski, MD, MA, and Brittany Taylor, MPH medpagetoday

...

What are the side effects of the new COVID vaccine? CDC votes to approve booster The CDC recommends the updated COVID-19 vaccine for everyone ages six months and older. Here's when you should get the shot, what side effects to expect, and more. TODAY

...

The new vaccine is targeting subtypes of the omicron variant that not all of us have been exposed to yet ... so it’s not quite a booster. This is trying to give us immunity against a different version of the virus,” Dr. Priya Sampathkumar, infectious disease specialist at the Mayo Clinic, tells TODAY.com. ...

1 in 4 COVID survivors had impaired lung function 1 year on, study shows mr.suphachai praserdumrongchai / iStock CIDRAP

A quarter of COVID-19 survivors had impaired lung function 1 year after infection, and older patients, those with more than three chronic conditions, and those with severe cases improved slower than other patients over time, a Dutch study published yesterday in PLOS One reveals.

...

COVID hospitalizations have risen for 2 months straight as new booster shots expected this week Despite the continued rise, the most recent week was the smallest percent increase in the past 2 months, according to the CDC data. ABC News ABC News

...

CDC panel recommends updated COVID vaccines. Shots could be ready this week Americans may soon be able to get an updated COVID-19 vaccine. Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday endorsed the new shots for everyone 6 months of age and older. AP News

...

US sets record for billion-dollar weather disasters in a year — and there's still 4 months to go The deadly firestorm in Hawaii and Hurricane Idalia’s watery storm surge helped push the United States to an annual record for the number of weather disasters that cost at least $1 billion. AP News

...

EU's disaster response fund at limit as climate crises mount The European Commission warned on Tuesday that the EU urgently needs more funding to respond to climate change-fuelled crises after its emergency aid reserve was exhausted in both 2021 and 2022 and natural disasters have increased this year. Kate Abnett Reuters

...

CDC reveals top Covid hotspots in the US as hospitalisations surge Here is the list of the counties with the most recent highest rates of new Covid-19 hospital admissions per county Amelia Neath AOL

...

Why Florida is seeing the highest proportion of counties with 'moderate' COVID hospitalization rates Florida has the highest proportion counties recording "moderate" COVID hospitalization levels in the U.S.. Experts explain why the state is seeing so many cases. ABC News ABC News

...

CDC's New Chief Plans to Rebuild Trust in the Agency 'Trust is absolutely foundational to our ability to help Americans,' says Mandy Cohen Michael DePeau-Wilson medpagetoday

New CDC Director Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH, wants to rebuild trust in the agency -- both internally and with the general public -- through improving communication, focusing on data collection, and translating that data into rapid responses to public health crises.

...