New COVID variant, NB.1.8.1, detected in Virginia, other states
WASHINGTON, D.C. - According to health officials, a new COVID-19 variant has been detected in Virginia and other states.
What we know:
The World Health Organization said on Wednesday the rise in cases is mainly 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, called NB.1.8.1.
According to the WHO, despite the number of cases rising, the overall public health risk remains low with current vaccines expected to remain effective. The organization has designated it a "variant under monitoring."
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ends COVID vaccine recommendation
Big picture view:
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Tuesday that 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 backstory:
Kennedy, a longtime critic of childhood vaccination prior to joining the Trump administration, has repeatedly clashed with federal health experts. In the video, he criticized the CDC’s prior stance, saying COVID-19 shots had been pushed for children "despite the lack of any clinical data."
Kennedy’s move comes as federal agencies were preparing to revisit the issue.
The Source: Information for this story came from the World Health Organization and previous reports. The Associated Press contributed.