Vaccine makers are studying whether booster shots or revised vaccines will be needed to fight new strains — but they don't have an easy way to expand production.A doctor prepares a dose of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine. | Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesThe global scramble to produce enough Covid-19 vaccine for 7 billion people is about to get even tougher, as drugmakers and countries ready a second round of shots to combat the growing threat of virus variants.Finding vaccines that can ward off more contagious or virulent strains is only half the battle. The United States...…Vaccine makers are studying whether booster shots or revised vaccines will be needed to fight new strains — but they don't have an easy way to expand production.A doctor prepares a dose of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine. | Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesThe global scramble to produce enough Covid-19 vaccine for 7 billion people is about to get even tougher, as drugmakers and countries ready a second round of shots to combat the growing threat of virus variants.Finding vaccines that can ward off more contagious or virulent strains is only half the battle. The United States...WW…

The chaos has disappointed the Biden team, which once argued that the company’s one-dose vaccine would be central to turning the tide of the pandemic.President Joe Biden speaks during an event with the CEOs of Johnson & Johnson and Merck March 10, 2021 in Washington, D.C. | Alex Wong/Getty ImagesThe Biden administration has stood by Johnson & Johnson as the vaccine maker struggled to deliver promised doses of its Covid-19 vaccine — but privately, frustrated senior health officials have largely written off the shot, according to seven people with knowledge of the matter.Johnson &...…The chaos has disappointed the Biden team, which once argued that the company’s one-dose vaccine would be central to turning the tide of the pandemic.President Joe Biden speaks during an event with the CEOs of Johnson & Johnson and Merck March 10, 2021 in Washington, D.C. | Alex Wong/Getty ImagesThe Biden administration has stood by Johnson & Johnson as the vaccine maker struggled to deliver promised doses of its Covid-19 vaccine — but privately, frustrated senior health officials have largely written off the shot, according to seven people with knowledge of the matter.Johnson &...WW…

Few others cast as long a shadow as Fauci — who over the past year has given America a crash course in epidemiology — especially with top health posts vacant.National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci stands behind President Joe Biden, who is speaking during a visit to the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health, Feb. 11, 2021, in Bethesda, Md. | Evan Vucci/AP PhotoWhen President Joe Biden wanted to know more about his administration’s plan to relax safety guidelines for vaccinated Americans, he turned to Anthony Fauci.During a...…Few others cast as long a shadow as Fauci — who over the past year has given America a crash course in epidemiology — especially with top health posts vacant.National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci stands behind President Joe Biden, who is speaking during a visit to the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health, Feb. 11, 2021, in Bethesda, Md. | Evan Vucci/AP PhotoWhen President Joe Biden wanted to know more about his administration’s plan to relax safety guidelines for vaccinated Americans, he turned to Anthony Fauci.During a...WW…

The government is already collaborating with Moderna to develop vaccine booster shots aimed at strains first identified in South Africa and the United Kingdom.A Walgreens pharmacist prepares a syringe with the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for residents and staff at the The Palace assisted living facility in Coral Gables, Fla. | Lynne Sladky, File/APThe Biden administration is rushing to prevent the spread of new strains of the coronavirus that scientists worry could be more transmissible or render vaccines less effective.The government is already collaborating with Moderna to develop...…The government is already collaborating with Moderna to develop vaccine booster shots aimed at strains first identified in South Africa and the United Kingdom.A Walgreens pharmacist prepares a syringe with the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for residents and staff at the The Palace assisted living facility in Coral Gables, Fla. | Lynne Sladky, File/APThe Biden administration is rushing to prevent the spread of new strains of the coronavirus that scientists worry could be more transmissible or render vaccines less effective.The government is already collaborating with Moderna to develop...WW…

The 79-year-old infectious-disease expert will be joined by other top health officials.Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks in Bethesda, Md. | Jacquelyn Martin/AP PhotoInfectious-disease expert Anthony Fauci and other top Trump administration health officials are set to receive the coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday.Fauci, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins and frontline health workers are scheduled to receive doses of Moderna’s vaccine at an event at NIH on Tuesday...…The 79-year-old infectious-disease expert will be joined by other top health officials.Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks in Bethesda, Md. | Jacquelyn Martin/AP PhotoInfectious-disease expert Anthony Fauci and other top Trump administration health officials are set to receive the coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday.Fauci, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins and frontline health workers are scheduled to receive doses of Moderna’s vaccine at an event at NIH on Tuesday...WW…

Using every drop from overfilled vials could boost available doses by up to 40 percent.The Pfizer vials are supposed to hold five doses, but pharmacists have found they have enough for a sixth or even a seventh dose | Jake Crandall/The Montgomery Advertiser via APPharmacists have found a way to squeeze extra doses out of vials of Pfizer’s vaccine, potentially expanding the nation’s scarce supply by up to 40 percent.The Food and Drug Administration said late Wednesday that those extra doses could be used, clearing up confusion that had caused some pharmacists to throw away leftover vaccine...…Using every drop from overfilled vials could boost available doses by up to 40 percent.The Pfizer vials are supposed to hold five doses, but pharmacists have found they have enough for a sixth or even a seventh dose | Jake Crandall/The Montgomery Advertiser via APPharmacists have found a way to squeeze extra doses out of vials of Pfizer’s vaccine, potentially expanding the nation’s scarce supply by up to 40 percent.The Food and Drug Administration said late Wednesday that those extra doses could be used, clearing up confusion that had caused some pharmacists to throw away leftover vaccine...WW…

White House pressures FDA as Trump fumes that U.S. won't finish first in the vaccine race.President Donald Trump listens as FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn, left, speaks during a media briefing at the White House on Aug. 23, 2020. | Alex Brandon/AP PhotoA president who preached “America First” is demanding to know why the United States could end up third, or worse, in the global vaccine race.President Donald Trump and his deputies are privately admonishing Food and Drug Administration officials for not moving faster to authorize promising coronavirus vaccines — a push partially motivated...…White House pressures FDA as Trump fumes that U.S. won't finish first in the vaccine race.President Donald Trump listens as FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn, left, speaks during a media briefing at the White House on Aug. 23, 2020. | Alex Brandon/AP PhotoA president who preached “America First” is demanding to know why the United States could end up third, or worse, in the global vaccine race.President Donald Trump and his deputies are privately admonishing Food and Drug Administration officials for not moving faster to authorize promising coronavirus vaccines — a push partially motivated...WW…

There won’t be a coronavirus vaccine ready before Election Day, despite President Donald Trump’s repeated promises and vaccine makers’ breakneck speed.Pfizer announced Friday it would not seek emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for a coronavirus vaccine before the third week of November. | Stew Milne/AP PhotoThere won’t be a coronavirus vaccine ready before Election Day, despite President Donald Trump’s repeated promises and vaccine makers’ breakneck speed.The president’s last best hope for meeting that deadline fizzled Friday as Pfizer announced that it would not...…There won’t be a coronavirus vaccine ready before Election Day, despite President Donald Trump’s repeated promises and vaccine makers’ breakneck speed.Pfizer announced Friday it would not seek emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for a coronavirus vaccine before the third week of November. | Stew Milne/AP PhotoThere won’t be a coronavirus vaccine ready before Election Day, despite President Donald Trump’s repeated promises and vaccine makers’ breakneck speed.The president’s last best hope for meeting that deadline fizzled Friday as Pfizer announced that it would not...WW…

Installed by Trump himself, the bombastic spokesman seized control of Covid-19 messaging, with disastrous results.Michael Caputo’s moves to more closely control public health agencies under HHS’ umbrella prompted the loudest objections | Mark Wilson/Getty ImagesAfter it became clear in mid-April that his administration’s response to Covid-19 was threatening his reelection, President Donald Trump considered a leadership shake-up within a health department whose rivalries and battles with the White House had hampered efforts to contain the virus.Instead, Trump made a different move: He...…Installed by Trump himself, the bombastic spokesman seized control of Covid-19 messaging, with disastrous results.Michael Caputo’s moves to more closely control public health agencies under HHS’ umbrella prompted the loudest objections | Mark Wilson/Getty ImagesAfter it became clear in mid-April that his administration’s response to Covid-19 was threatening his reelection, President Donald Trump considered a leadership shake-up within a health department whose rivalries and battles with the White House had hampered efforts to contain the virus.Instead, Trump made a different move: He...WW…

The departure of the administration's top health spokesperson would be a major blow to Trump's messaging strategy on coronavirus.Former Trump campaign official Michael Caputo. | Mark Wilson/Getty ImagesThe health department’s top spokesperson Michael Caputo called an emergency staff meeting on Tuesday to apologize for drawing negative attention to the Trump administration’s health care strategy and signaled that he might be soon departing his role, according to five people with knowledge of the meeting.The departure of Caputo, who has closely controlled the health agencies’ dissemination of...…The departure of the administration's top health spokesperson would be a major blow to Trump's messaging strategy on coronavirus.Former Trump campaign official Michael Caputo. | Mark Wilson/Getty ImagesThe health department’s top spokesperson Michael Caputo called an emergency staff meeting on Tuesday to apologize for drawing negative attention to the Trump administration’s health care strategy and signaled that he might be soon departing his role, according to five people with knowledge of the meeting.The departure of Caputo, who has closely controlled the health agencies’ dissemination of...WW…