Public Health

For the week ending Dec. 4, seven states reported high or moderate flu activity, according to data from the CDC's FluView report published Dec. 10. 

The antibody response to Pfizer-BioNTech's and Moderna's mRNA COVID-19 vaccines fell after 120 days days among hospitalized veterans, suggesting the importance of booster doses for lasting protection, according to the CDC's Dec. 10 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 

The health insurance landscape is poised to see less industry volatility, making for a stable 2022, according to a Dec. 9 report from Fitch Ratings. 

As the winter approaches, U.S. COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are on the rise, and with the emergence of the new omicron variant, the state of the pandemic could rapidly evolve. 

At least six states have set new COVID-19 records over the last week. 

An estimated 16.7 percent of U.S. children ages 5-11 have received at least one dose of Pfizer's COVID-19 as of Dec. 5, according to a Dec. 8 Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of CDC data. 

Florida Blue, the state's Blue Cross Blue Shield plan, committed to reducing its carbon footprint by 50 percent by making its facilities entirely powered by solar energy, the payer announced Dec. 2. 

Six states in the Midwest and East Coast account for more than half of the nation's total COVID-19 hospitalizations confirmed in recent weeks, NBC News reported Dec. 7.

At least five states have set new, all-time high COVID-19 records over the last week. 

The CDC is now requiring air travelers entering the U.S. to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 24 hours of their flight to help prevent the omicron variant's spread.