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COVID-19 vaccines are now included among the routine shots recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for children, adolescents and adults. The 2023 list includes shots for the flu, measles mumps and rubella, polio, and other inoculations. (Weixel, 2/9)

Pediatricians and federal health experts have been recommending that children and teens get vaccinated against COVID-19 since the shots first became available. Now, the nation’s public health agency is recommending the shots become routine. On Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formally added COVID-19 vaccinations to its immunization schedules for children and adults. (Ruderman, 2/9)

Australian scientists announced Friday they've discovered a protein in the lung that sticks to the COVID-19 virus like Velcro and forms a natural protective barrier in a person's body to block infection. (Falconer, 2/10)

At Tuesday’s State of the Union address, President Biden’s tone had shifted. Though the virus is not gone, the president said, “covid no longer controls our lives.” The panorama looks much different from when the virus first arrived in the United States nearly three years ago. Most Americans are now fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, and for the most part, life has returned to normal. Still, an average of more than 500 Americans are dying every day from the virus, and despite how far the country has come in its fight, experts say this is not the time for the White House to lower its guard. (Salcedo, 2/9)

When 33-year-old Katie Timmerman tested positive for COVID-19 in January 2022, the busy vice president of a PR firm in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, figured she’d be sick for a few days. Her only symptoms were a bad headache and a sore throat, she said. But then the headaches grew worse and were sometimes debilitating — and they never left. (Rudy, 2/9)

KHN: Public Health Agencies Turn To Locals To Extend Reach Into Immigrant Communities 

When covid-19 vaccines became available, Colorado public health officials initially relied on mass vaccination events publicized through Facebook, email, and texts, and required Coloradans to book appointments online. But when that go-big strategy drove large disparities in who was getting vaccinated, public health departments in the Denver area decided to go small instead. They provided “microgrants,” small sums for one-time projects, to community organizations serving immigrants and minorities, and allowed those groups to determine how best to use the money. (Hawryluk, 2/10)