Biden ends U.S. COVID-19 emergency status

President Joe Biden officially ended the national health emergency status for COVID-19 on Monday, which terminates funding streams for emergency measures such as COVID-19 tests and free vaccines. However, the Biden administration is already working on a new vaccine and other measures to combat future variants of the virus through “Project NextGen.” The project will invest at least $5 billion in collaborations with the private sector to create long-lasting monoclonal antibodies resistant to new COVID-19 variants and broader vaccines that can protect against several coronaviruses. The project will also focus on developing vaccines that produce mucosal immunity and can be administered through the nose to reduce infection and transmission rates.

Sources: CGTN