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4d ago

US Confirms NB.1.8.1 Variant in Travel-Linked Cases and Tightens Vaccine Guidance

FDA will narrow COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to seniors and medically vulnerable after WHO classifies NB.1.8.1 as a variant under monitoring.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
FILE - A vial of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine rests on a table at an inoculation station in Jackson, Miss., on July 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

Overview

  • Fewer than 20 NB.1.8.1 cases have been identified in the US, primarily among international travellers arriving in California, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island and Hawaii.
  • WHO and US virologists report that NB.1.8.1 spreads more rapidly than earlier strains but does not increase the risk of severe illness for most people.
  • On May 23, the World Health Organization designated NB.1.8.1 as a variant under monitoring following surges in hospitalisations across China and parts of Asia.
  • The CDC has removed routine COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women, and the FDA will approve updated shots only for seniors and those with underlying conditions.
  • Health experts advise continued mask use in crowded settings and enhanced genomic surveillance as federal policy limits broader vaccine access and the variant circulates globally.