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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday announced that it has changed the date of its upcoming Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) from May 16 to June 5, during which the group will discuss and make recommendations on the strain or strains to include in 2024-25 COVID vaccines. (Schnirring, 5/8)

To most Americans, COVID-19 now ranks with everyday risks like reckless driving, smoking and drinking too much. But the emergence of new variants called FLiRT is a fresh reminder that the coronavirus still is circulating and evolving, even with hospitalizations at record lows. (Bettelheim, 5/9)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) today announced the launch of four more long-COVID clinical trials, which will examine sleep disturbances, exercise intolerance, and post-exertional malaise. The studies add to six earlier investigations that are part of the NIH's Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative. The newly announced trials will assess potential treatments for the symptoms and will enroll about 1,660 people across 50 study sites, the NIH said. (Schnirring, 5/8)

The biotech’s lackluster new RSV vaccine undercuts the promise of mRNA to revolutionize health care. (Smith, 5/9)