New COVID variant detected in NY: What's known about NB.1.8.1's public health risk
NEW YORK - Health officials say a new COVID-19 variant - which may be driving an increase in cases across the world - was detected in New York.
What we know:
The World Health Organization said Wednesday the rise in cases is primarily in the eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and western Pacific regions.
Airport screening in the US detected the new variant in travelers arriving from those regions to states such as California, Washington, Virginia and New York.
Five years post COVID pandemic
Former patient with first case of COVID-19 in NYC area shares his story. FOX 5 NY's Meredith Gorman with the details.
Should we be worried?
Big picture view:
By mid-May, the new COVID variant accounted for nearly 11% of sequenced samples globally. The WHO has labeled it a "variant under monitoring" and assesses the public health risk as low, with current vaccines expected to remain effective.
While some western Pacific countries have seen rises in COVID cases and hospitalizations, there is no evidence yet that the new variant causes more severe disease than other variants.
RFK Jr. pulls vaccine guidance
Dig deeper:
On Tuesday, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said COVID-19 vaccines are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women, a controversial announcement made weeks before a CDC advisory panel was set to weigh in.
The announcement appeared to override longstanding CDC guidance that urges annual COVID-19 boosters for all Americans aged 6 months and older.
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Kennedy did not provide supporting documentation or specific risk-benefit data in his video statement. CDC officials declined to comment on the decision and referred reporters to HHS.
Health experts have warned that vaccine guidance should be grounded in peer-reviewed evidence and consensus, not unilateral executive action. However, Kennedy has pushed for a more decentralized approach to public health decisions since his appointment.