The World Health Organization said Monday in a new risk assessment that it believes the COVID-19 Omicron variant poses a “very high” risk to the globe because it may be more transmissible than other strains of the virus. Why it matters: Though the WHO acknowledged there are still many uncertainties

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Health officials in the United Kingdom, Italy and Germany announced on Saturday that they’ve detected the first known cases of the new COVID-19 Omicron variant. Why it matters: The discoveries come as the world scrambles to respond to concerns over the new variant, discovered in South Africa earlier this week.

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The world still needs more coronavirus vaccines, but an additional bottleneck has emerged in many low-income countries: They need help getting shots in arms. Why it matters: Increasing vaccination rates across the world is both a humanitarian necessity and the best way to prevent dangerous new variants from emerging, but

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Procter & Gamble is recalling 18 different Old Spice and Secret aerosol sprays after a cancer-causing chemical was detected in some of the products. Why it matters: This isn’t the first time in 2021 that a benzene-related recall has been issued. Johnson & Johnson recalled spray-on Neutrogena and Aveeno sunscreens

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Health officials in Australia announced on Sunday that they’ve detected two cases of the Omicron variant in travelers from southern Africa, the first such cases identified on the continent. Driving the news: Both people who tested positive were asymptomatic and fully vaccinated, the country’s health agency said in a release.

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Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, cautioned on Sunday that the COVID-19 Omicron variant will “inevitably” be found in the United States. Driving the news: Fauci, Biden’s chief medical adviser, told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on “This Week” that U.S. officials will meet with

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Moderna’s chief medical officer Paul Burton said on Sunday that a reformulated vaccine against the newly-identified Omicron coronavirus variant could be ready as soon as early 2022 if it’s found to be necessary. Why it matters: Burton’s comments on BBC’s “Andrew Marr Show” come as companies are testing whether current

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As vaccine makers pursue the next generation of COVID-19 vaccines, some are working to develop products that wouldn’t require a shot. Why it matters: Delivering a vaccine through a pill or a nasal spray could make them much easier to administer, especially in places where distribution is challenging — or

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Two cases of the new COVID-19 Omicron variant were detected in the United Kingdom overnight, the U.K. Health Security Agency announced Saturday. Why it matters: The discovery comes as the world scrambles to respond to concerns over the new variant, discovered in South Africa earlier this week. Driving the news:

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Countries across Europe and Asia are rushing through new travel restrictions in response to a new COVID variant identified by scientists in South Africa. The big picture: Israel, Japan, the U.K., France, Germany, Italy and Singapore are moving to restrict entry from countries in the south of Africa, AP reports.

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