COVID-19 Federal Responses: Monday, December 6, 2021

The National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci said preliminary information about the Omicron variant shows it might not cause as severe disease as frequently as expected. However, more data is needed to confirm this information.
Even though the Omicron variant is spreading throughout the country, the Delta variant remains a serious challenge.
As part of the Administration’s plans to improve COVID vaccinations and preventive strategies, it plans to require health plans to cover the costs of over-the-counter at-home COVID-19 tests.

White House and Federal Agencies

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it plans to require health plans to cover the costs of over-the-counter at-home COVID-19 tests. This is part of a broader White House campaign to improve vaccinations and other prevention strategies.
HHS appealed a court ruling to temporarily prevent the agency from implementing its COVID-19 vaccine mandate on health care workers while a legal challenge to the mandate works its way through the court system.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is requiring state Medicaid programs to cover vaccine counseling visits for beneficiaries under age 21. The federal government will provide a 100% match for these services.
The Biden Administration says it is not considering any new vaccine requirements for domestic travel ahead of the holidays. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is tightening requirements for international travelers to show a proof of negative test within one day of travel.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci said preliminary information about the Omicron variant shows it might not cause as severe disease as frequently as expected. However, more data is needed to confirm this information.
- As we steadily learn new information about the Omicron variant, it could take more time to piece the information together into a cohesive picture about the projected impact of the new variant.
- Dr. Fauci also expressed confidence that booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will be effective against the Omicron variant.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must weigh the threat of the Omicron variant in its decision for how to authorize new COVID-19 antiviral pill therapies.
Even though the Omicron variant is spreading throughout the country, the Delta variant remains a serious challenge.
Pfizer says it could have data on its vaccine’s effectiveness in children under the age of five by the end of this year.
NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci said the U.S. could soon end the temporary travel ban for African countries where the Omicron variant was first detected.
New research from the Department of Veterans Affairs shows the COVID-19 vaccines provide good protection against COVID-19 infection for cancer patients.
Data from Houston, Texas shows a link between COVID-19 mortality and diabetes, with over half of people who died from COVID-19 also having diabetes.