Covid-19

A government minister has called for the protection of families and children as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, according to a report carried under a family and parenting focus. The appeal underscores concerns about how the pandemic affects household welfare, parenting and child safety. Details of the minister's identity, country and specific measures were not provided in the available report.

The updated 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine has become available, and people are booking appointments at pharmacies such as Walgreens, including Moderna boosters. The rollout comes as US trackers report a 13th COVID wave, with outbreaks in 40 states and territories and millions of estimated current infections, prompting renewed calls for annual boosters.

A US Senate committee has voted to hold Anthony Fauci, the former top US infectious disease official, in contempt of Congress. The vote escalates a long-running standoff between Republican lawmakers and Fauci over documents and testimony connected to the federal response to Covid-19 and the origins of the pandemic. Fauci, who led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for decades before retiring in 2022, remains a frequent target of congressional scrutiny, and the move is likely to deepen partisan fights over pandemic-era decisions.