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Middle school student Elise Robinson receives her first coronavirus vaccination in Decatur, Ga., on May 12, 2021. (Ron Harris/AP)

States placing orders for pediatric vaccine; FDA authorization expected as soon as Friday

Updated October 27, 2021 at 11:00 p.m. EDT|Published October 27, 2021 at 4:27 a.m. EDT
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Key updates
Key coronavirus updates from around the world
U.S. drug company Merck to share license for experimental covid-19 treatment with nonprofit

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The Food and Drug Administration is aiming to grant emergency use authorization to the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 on Friday, according to federal officials familiar with the plans.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has the final say in the vaccine’s authorization for that age group, states already are gearing up to acquire the necessary doses.  
Key coronavirus updates from around the world
U.S. drug company Merck to share license for experimental covid-19 treatment with nonprofit

Here’s what to know

  • New coronavirus infections in the United States have dropped nearly 60 percent since the September spike brought on by the more contagious delta variant, according to data compiled by The Washington Post.
  • U.S. pharmaceutical giant Merck has agreed to share its license with a nonprofit so that its experimental covid-19 drug, molnupiravir, can be manufactured widely around the world.
  • Merriam-Webster is adding “ghost kitchen” and “curbside delivery” to its dictionary in a nod toward how the pandemic has changed dining as we know it.
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New coronavirus infections in the United States have dropped nearly 60 percent since the September spike brought on by the more contagious delta variant, according to data compiled by The Washington Post.
U.S. pharmaceutical giant Merck has agreed to share its license with a nonprofit so that its experimental covid-19 drug, molnupiravir, can be manufactured widely around the world.
Merriam-Webster is adding “ghost kitchen” and “curbside delivery” to its dictionary in a nod toward how the pandemic has changed dining as we know it.

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Coronavirus: What you need to know

Where do things stand? See the latest covid numbers in the U.S. and across the world. In the U.S., pandemic trends have shifted and now White people are more likely to die from covid than Black people.

The state of public health: Conservative and libertarian forces have defanged much of the nation’s public health system through legislation and litigation as the world staggers into the fourth year of covid.

Grief and the pandemic: A Washington Post reporter covered the coronavirus — and then endured the death of her mother from covid-19. She offers a window into grief and resilience.

Would we shut down again? What will the United States do the next time a deadly virus comes knocking on the door?

Vaccines: The CDC recommends that everyone age 5 and older get an updated covid booster shot. New federal data shows adults who received the updated shots cut their risk of being hospitalized with covid-19 by 50 percent. Here’s guidance on when you should get the omicron booster and how vaccine efficacy could be affected by your prior infections.

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