Pfizer, BioNTech testing omicron vaccine, 39 missing after boat capsizes: 5 Things podcast
On today's episode of the 5 Things podcast: Pfizer and BioNTech to test omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccine
Patient safety reporter Karen Weintraub has the latest. Plus, 39 people are missing after a boat capsized off the coast of Florida, U.S. leaders continue to speak out on Ukraine, travel reporter Dawn Gilbertson warns to read the small print on flight changes and the Fed is set to make its latest interest rate comments amid record inflation.
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Hit play on the player above to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript below. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.
Taylor Wilson:
Good morning. I'm Taylor Wilson and this is 5 Things you need to know Wednesday, the 26th of January 2022. Today, a possible vaccine made specifically for omicron. Plus, 39 people are missing after a boat capsized off the coast of Florida, and more.
Here are some of the top headlines:
- Omicron has a new variant cousin. Health experts say that Omicron BA.2 is expected to remain relatively mild, but possibly will continue to be extremely transmissible.
- Crews have now contained 50% of the wildfire burning near Big Sur, California. Cal Fire said yesterday that the 700 acre blaze was sparked by hot embers from a pile burning operation.
- And David Ortiz has made the Baseball Hall of Fame, but there were a number of snubs in yesterday's announcement, including no Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens to the Hall in their final year on the ballot.
The fight against omicron continues. And down the line, there may be a vaccine specifically made to fight this extremely contagious variant of COVID-19. Patient Safety reporter Karen Weintraub has more on Pfizer's plans to test an omicron vaccine in adult trials.
Karen Weintraub:
So Pfizer has just launched three clinical trials totaling about 1200 people to test an omicron specific vaccine. So right now we're still using a vaccine that was designed against the original COVID variant. And they want to see if it makes a big difference to have an omicron specific one.
So that's what they're testing in three different groups. One, are people who have been vaccinated two times or three times, and then get an omicron specific one on top of that. And one is for people who haven't been vaccinated at all, a smaller group who will get just this omicron specific variant. So we know that the current vaccines are still very good against omicron, but not as good as against the other variants.
So they had announced earlier that they expect results in March or April. So we're looking at early Spring.
Taylor Wilson:
It's clear that vaccinate and booster shots, especially, do keep the worst of the illness away for most people. As we mentioned last week on the show, CDC data said boosters are 90% effective at preventing hospitalizations related to omicron. Still, only about 40% of the US population is boosted down from the 63% who are fully vaccinated.
Meanwhile, the FDA has revoked authorizations for two antibody treatments to fight coronavirus. Officials said they are unlikely to be effective in treating omicron, which now makes up more than 99% of cases in the country.
Thirty-nine people are missing after a boat capsized off the coast of Florida. A search is underway after the Coast Guard yesterday got a call from someone who rescued a man holding on to the capsized vessel. The survivor said he left The Bahamas on Saturday night with the 39 other people before the group ran into severe weather. The boat was about 45 miles east of Fort Pierce near Port St. Lucie in South Florida. And the survivor said that no one on board was wearing life jackets. The Coast Guard is calling it a suspected human smuggling case.
There are now some 127,000 Russian troops deployed near Ukraine. Russia continues to say it has no plans to formally invade Ukraine, but the US and NATO are not quick to take the country up on its word. And precautions this week include thousands of US troops on heightened alert. A number of weapons systems have also begun arriving in Ukraine from NATO countries. State Department spokesman Ned Price reiterated yesterday that the US response would be unprecedented if Russia invades.
Ned Price:
We have spoken consistently about the fact that that swift, severe and united response will be unprecedented, that it will entail measures that we have intentionally skewed in the past, including in 2014m when Russia last invaded Ukraine. But it also will be unprecedented in its approach. And this is the point that you were getting too, Matt. It's the point that one of my colleagues this morning. My colleague said that, and you quoted it partially, "The gradualism of the past is out. And this time we'll start at the top of the escalation ladder and stay there." Just as our partners and allies have welcomed our coordinated, consultative engagements with the Russian Federation, we would certainly welcome dialogue and diplomas that could serve to deescalate, in which the Russian Federation engages in good faith.
Taylor Wilson:
President Joe Biden said that Russia would pay a dear price in economic sanctions if it attacks Ukraine, but he has maintained that American troops will not be used in combat.
President Joe Biden:
Those forces in high alert are, they're part of a NATO operation, not a sole US operation. And I've made it clear to President Putin that we have a sacred obligation, Article 5 obligation to our NATO allies. And that if in fact, he continued to build up, and/or if it was to move, we would be reinforcing those troops. And I've spoken with every one of our NATO allies in person. Or not person, virtually, and we're all on the same page. We've got to make it clear that there's no reason for anyone, any member of NATO to worry whether or not we would, we NATO, would come to their defense. And I may be moving some of those troops in the near term just because it takes time. And again, it's not provocative, it's just exactly what I said. We have no intention of putting American forces or NATO forces in Ukraine.
Taylor Wilson:
For all the latest, stay with the world news section on USATODAY.com.
The pandemic has brought a number of policy changes to air travel, and some for the better. Passengers have finally been more easily able to exchange tickets for other flights. But travelers need to be aware of the small print as Travel Reporter Dawn Gilbertson explains.
Dawn Gilbertson:
Well, the big difference now that travelers need to be aware of is that during the pandemic airlines were super flexible and for good reason. And now for some tickets that flexibility is gone. And the most important type of ticket where the flexibility is gone are the popular basic economy tickets.
With airlines touting the fact that they got rid of these change fees, I think a lot of travelers right now are thinking, wow, I can buy any ticket and I'll be able to change it without having to pay a fee that in the past was $200 in many cases. But the thing that travelers need to be aware of is that for airlines' cheapest tickets, basic economy tickets, and bargain tickets on the discounters, that flexibility is no longer there. You won't be able to change those in some cases. And in other cases, you can change them, but you still pay a change fee. So, now more than ever with all the pandemic travel waivers by and large gone, travelers really, really need to be careful when they're buying plane tickets and look at the fine print, especially if you think there's any chance you may have to make any kind of change to this flight in the future.
And one more thing that people need to be aware of, if you do buy a ticket with flexibility, don't confuse flexibility with refundability. The only way you're going to get a refund with these tickets, even if you pay up, you pay up and it says flexible in the fare and it says you can change it, that doesn't mean you're going to get your money back. The only way you're going to get your money back is if it's a refundable ticket or if the airline happens to cancel your flight, but you can't bet on that.
Taylor Wilson:
You can find Dawn's full story in today's episode description.
With inflation surging around the country, the Federal Reserve today is expected to signal that it will raise interest rates as soon as March. The Fed's short term interest rate has remained locked near zero since the pandemic began in 2020. That's fueled borrowing and spending by consumers and businesses, but also inflation, which is now rising at its fastest pace in nearly four decades.
The Fed last month said it expects three rate increases this year as it works to balance economic recovery from the pandemic while fighting to curb inflation.
Thanks for listening to 5 Things. You can find us on whatever your favorite podcast app is, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and your smart speaker. Thanks to PJ Elliot for his great work on the show, and I'm back tomorrow with more of 5 Things from Paste BN.