No more masks on planes | CDC advisors skeptical on boosters

VIEW IN BROWSER | SUBSCRIBE Fri, Apr 22, 2022 EDITOR'S NOTE Think a friend or colleague should be getting this newsletter? Share this link with them to sign up.   Americans can now fly without wearing face masks. A federal judge in Florida this week ruled that the CDC had overstepped its authority, the latest court decision striking down a federal health mandate.    As Americans ditch their face masks, Covd infections are still rising due to the omicron subvariant BA.2, the most transmissible version of the virus so far.    But most state leaders have no political appetite to bring back mandates as an exhausted public tries to move on with their lives. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said as much this week, telling the public that health authorities are monitoring a spike in cases in the state but have no plans to change policy right now.   Meanwhile, the CDC's independent vaccine experts largely agreed this week that the U.S. should abandon trying to prevent infections with the current vaccines, and make clear that the shots are achieving the central goal of preventing severe illness.    In other news, doctors are calling for studies to find out if Pfizer's Paxlovid can treat long Covid. Moderna said its redesigned vaccine targeting two Covid strains produced a strong immune response against omicron. And Novavax said its combined Covid and flu shot showed promising results in early stage clinical trials.    Feel free to send any tips, suggestions, story ideas and data in the meantime to me at spencer.kimball@nbcuni.com. Spencer Kimball | Health Reporter @spencekimball Spencer Kimball | Health Reporter @spencekimball CDC advisors skeptical of fourth Covid shots The CDC's advisory committee largely agreed that preventing Covid infection with the current generation of vaccines is unachievable, and any future decision about a fourth shot should focus on preventing severe illness as the central goal.    It's possible that the U.S. could move toward a system of annual Covid vaccination as early as this fall, but the FDA is still sorting out whether the shots need an update to target virus mutations. But time is short with a decision needed by June at the latest to have new vaccines ready for a possible fall surge. - Spencer Kimball DOJ to appeal mask mandate ruling The CDC has asked the Justice Department to appeal the federal court ruling that struck down the mask mandate for public transportation. However, any court battle will likely take months to resolve. The CDC is likely playing the long game, trying to preserve its authority to act swiftly in future public health crises.  - Amanda Macias, Washington Moderna says redesigned Covid vaccine boosts immunity Moderna said a redesigned vaccine that targets nine mutations on the beta Covid variant boosted people's immune response against omicron. The biotech company is testing new shots with a formulation that includes the original Wuhan strain as well as mutations that the virus has developed since 2019. The hope is vaccines that target multiple variants will provide more durable protection, particularly against infection and mild illness. - Spencer Kimball Should Paxlovid be used more broadly?  A series of case reports this week led to questions about whether Paxlovid could be effective for treating long Covid. While doctors we spoke with noted anecdotal evidence is just that, they advocated for more studies of the drug. There is also a push to better understand if the antiviral could help prevent long Covid, and whether treatment should be expanded to not just those at high risk of acute severe disease. Meanwhile, an analysis from Evercore ISI shows the drug is getting much more widely used, up to about 9% of US Covid cases in March from less than 1% in January and February (and much more than Merck's molnupiravir). - Meg Tirrell Novavax says Covid-flu shot shows promise Novavax said its combined Covid and flu shot showed promise in an early stage clinical trial. The vaccine triggered an immune response comparable to the standalone shots for each virus, though additional study is needed. The company plans to start a phase two trial to confirm the dosing levels this year, and a phase three trial on efficacy in 2023 at the earliest. - Spencer Kimball New York not changing course despite rising Covid tide New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said two mutated strains of the omicron variant are driving a spike in cases in the state, but there's no evidence they are causing more severe illness. Hochul said that, for now at least, the state has no intention to bring back any public health mandates. - Spencer Kimball J&J slashes 2022 outlook, drops Covid vaccine guidance Johnson & Johnson posted mixed first-quarter results this week after facing headwinds due to inflation and supply chain constraints. The company slashed its 2022 outlook and said it would no longer provide guidance on its Covid vaccine. - Spencer Kimball People without health insurance face surprise Covid bills The federal government's fund to cover the cost of Covid testing, treatment and vaccines for the uninsured is basically tapped out after Congress failed to pass new funding this month. While Covid transmission is relatively low right now, people without health insurance could face expensive bills for testing and treatment at the hospital if another wave sweeps the U.S.  - Spencer Kimball JOIN US REGISTER CONTRIBUTORS Bertha Coombs @berthacoombs Meg Tirrell @megtirrell Bertha Coombs @berthacoombs Meg Tirrell @megtirrell Unsubscribe Manage Newsletters Terms of Service Join the CNBC Panel   Digital Products Feedback Privacy Policy CNBC Events   © 2022 CNBC LLC. All rights reserved. A property of NBCUniversal. 900 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes and Market Data and Analysis. Data also provided by THOMSON REUTERS