California coronavirus updates: Pfizer asks FDA to clear new bivalent shot for

11:45 a.m.: Pfizer asks FDA to clear new bivalent shot for children under 5

Pfizer is asking U.S. regulators to authorize its updated COVID-19 vaccine for children under the age of 5.

The youngest children are already supposed to get three extra-small doses of the original vaccine as their primary series — this would be just to update the formula.

Few of the nation’s youngest children have gotten their COVID-19 vaccinations since the shots were OK’d in June. As reported by the Associated Press, just 2% of tots under 2 and about 4% of 2- 4-year-olds have gotten their primary doses so far.

Pfizer and its partner BioNTech said that if the Food and Drug Administration agrees, the updated vaccine would be used for the third shot in the series.

The FDA has already cleared the bivalent COVID-19 vaccines for everyone 5 and older.

11:55 a.m.: China eases anti-covid measures following protests

China has rolled back rules on isolating people with COVID-19 and dropped virus test requirements for some public places.

That is a dramatic change to a strategy that confined millions of people to their homes and sparked protests and demands for President Xi Jinping to resign, as reported by the Associated Press.

The move adds to earlier easing that fueled hopes Beijing was scrapping its “zero COVID” strategy. Experts warn that restrictions can’t be lifted completely until at least mid-2023 because millions of elderly people still must be vaccinated and the health care system strengthened.

China is the last major country still trying to stamp out transmission of the virus while many nations switch to trying to live with it.

12:28 p.m.: Military to keep COVID vaccine mandate

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is making clear he wants to keep the military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate in place to protect the health of U.S. troops as Republican governors and lawmakers press to rescind it.

According to the Associated Press, this past week, more than 20 Republican governors wrote to President Joe Biden asking that the administration remove the mandate.

They argue it has hurt the U.S. National Guard’s ability to recruit troops. Congress may consider legislation this coming week to end the mandate as a requirement to gather enough support to pass this year’s defense budget, which is already two months late.

Austin says the mandate has kept the forces healthy.

11:56 a.m.: A year later, omicron surges still worry experts

The omicron variant is driving U.S. COVID-19 case counts higher in many places just in time for the holiday season. The ever-morphing mutant began its assault on humanity a year ago.

California coronavirus updates: Pfizer asks FDA to clear new bivalent shot for