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Coronavirus

COVID-19 Bulletin (12/01/21)

FDA endorses Merck's COVID-19 pill, and the U.S. installs travel bans due to omicron variant.
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Joao Carlos Medau via Flickr

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins reported a five-day total of 1,107 new COVID-19 cases and 14 deaths on Tuesday.


FDA panel narrowly endorses Merck’s COVID-19 pill, The Dallas Morning News reports. After hours of debate, a Food and Drug Administration panel voted 13-10 that the drug’s benefits outweigh its risks, for high-risk adults with mild-to-moderate COVID-19. Experts backing the treatment stressed it should not be used by pregnant women due to potential birth defects. Experts called on the FDA to recommend extra precautions to the pill, including pregnancy tests for women before using the drug.


New U.S.travel restrictions go into effect in response to omicron variant, WFAA reports. The U.S. government has imposed travel bans to South Africa and seven additional countries in southern Africa. WFAA reports some travel experts are urging passengers to be prepared as international travel bans continue, including vaccination card images and COVID-19 insurance.


Pfizer is set to request authorization for COVID boosters for 16 and 17-year-olds, The Washington Post reports. Pfizer and BioNTech are expected to ask the Food and Drug Administration in the coming days to authorize its booster shot for that age group. The move to expand eligibility among teens comes as the White House navigates the omicron variant.


Dallas County is offering replacement COVID-19 vaccination cards, WFAA reports. If you live in Dallas County and need to replace your lost or misplaced vaccination card, call 972-692-2780 between 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. or email [email protected]. The CDC encourages to keep vaccination cards in a safe place, not post pictures of your card and not laminate your card, to note future booster records.

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