Coronavirus Watch: COVID booster trial says it's safe, effective

The first data in people on the new COVID boosters shows they are just as safe as previous shots and provide a strong immune response.

The new boosters target both the original version of the virus that causes COVID-19 as well the BA.4 and BA.5 variants that have dominated since early summer.

Two groups of 40 adults each, one ages 18-55 and the other over 55, both tolerated the new shot as well as earlier ones, and had no unexpected side effects. 

Read more from reporter Karen Weintraub here.

It's Thursday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here's more news to know:

• Children ages 5 to 11 are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 booster aimed at both the original virus that causes COVID-19 and the omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants. 
• Taiwan lifted its remaining pandemic entry restrictions Thursday after more than two years of border controls on the island.
• The high school class of 2022 has the lowest scores on the ACT college admissions test in more than 30 years, demonstrating the size of learning disruption for students during COVID-19.

See our COVID-19 resource guide here. On boosters: 35.4% of Americans over 5 years old have received their first booster shot, and 11.5 million people have received a second booster dose, according to the CDC.

– Cady Stanton, Paste BN breaking news reporter, @cady_stanton

Contributing: The Associated Press