French vaccine shows positive results against omicron

Plus: Pandemic stock darling Peloton halts production of fitness products

French biotech company Valneva said that three doses of its Covid-19 vaccine neutralized the omicron coronavirus variant in early laboratory studies. The company is eyeing regulatory authorization in Europe and that success would add to the continent’s stock of vaccines effective against omicron that includes Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax. The neutralizing activity of the vaccine was determined in blood samples of 30 participants’ in the firm’s clinical trial, but this is a lab result, not a trial result. So it remains to be seen if the results will hold up in clinical trials, especially since data from other vaccines using similar inactivated virus technology have suggested poor performance against omicron.

Do you have comments or questions? Email us at health@forbes.com

More Covid News

The number of new unemployment claims unexpectedly jumped for the third week in a row this month, adding to evidence suggesting the record wave of Covid cases this month has stunted the economic recovery. 

An American Airlines flight from Miami to London on Wednesday night turned around over the Atlantic ocean after a passenger reportedly refused to wear a face mask.

The FDA will likely authorize Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine for children under 5 “within the next month or so,” White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said.

Covid-19 restrictions such as face mask mandates and Covid passes for large events will be ending in the United Kingdom next week, but health leaders have urged the public to stay cautious.

Austrian lawmakers passed Europe’s first near-universal coronavirus vaccine mandate, which will subject the country’s unvaccinated adults to fines as early as March.

What Else We Are Reading

• People Are Hiding That Their Unvaccinated Loved Ones Died of COVID (The Atlantic)

• Why healthy, vaccinated people should still care about Omicron (Popular Science)

• Senators request FTC investigation into 'unfair, deceptive and harmful' COVID test price gouging (Fierce Biotech)