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omicron BA.5

Pfizer asks FDA to greenlight new omicron booster shots, which could arrive this fall

The new booster shot would be an update to Pfizer's current version of the shot, which was designed for the original strain of the coronavirus. Nam Y. Huh/AP hide caption

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Nam Y. Huh/AP

Shots - Health News

Pfizer asks FDA to greenlight new omicron booster shots, which could arrive this fall

Pfizer has submitted data on its bivalent COVID-19 booster shot that specifically targets the latest omicron subvariants. If authorized, the company says the shots could be ready as soon as September.

BA.5: The Omicron Subvariant Driving Up Cases — And Reinfections

On Wednesday, May 4th, 2022 a mix of masked and unmasked individuals shop at the Portland Farmers Market in Shemanski Park in Portland, OR. Leah Nash/The Washington Post / Getty Images hide caption

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Leah Nash/The Washington Post / Getty Images

Short Wave

BA.5: The Omicron Subvariant Driving Up Cases — And Reinfections

BA.5 is now the dominant SARS-CoV-2 subvariant in the United States. It's driving up COVID cases and hospitalizations across the country.

BA.5: The Omicron Subvariant Driving Up Cases — And Reinfections

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A new dominant omicron strain in the U.S. is driving up cases — and reinfections

A Covid-19 testing site stands on a Brooklyn street corner in April. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption

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Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The Coronavirus Crisis

A new dominant omicron strain in the U.S. is driving up cases — and reinfections

BA.5 is now the dominant omicron strain in the U.S. It's good at evading the immune system, though doesn't appear to cause more serious illness.

A new dominant omicron strain in the U.S. is driving up cases — and reinfections

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  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1110804098/1110804747" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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