Covid-19

The United Nations has drafted a document outlining preparations for a future pandemic. The plan is expected to cover international coordination and readiness measures, though details of its contents have not been widely reported. The news was carried by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and discussion so far remains limited.

France's pharmacists' union is warning about an early resurgence of Covid-19 and is calling on the government to move forward the vaccination campaign scheduled for mid-October. Hospitals are already feeling the strain: emergency room visits are reported to have jumped 67% among adults and 16% among children. The union's appeal puts pressure on health authorities to speed up autumn booster plans as infections climb sooner than expected.

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.

The updated 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine is now available in the United States, with people booking annual booster appointments at pharmacies such as Walgreens, including for the Moderna shot. The rollout comes amid reports of a 13th COVID wave, with outbreaks in 40 states and territories and millions of cases cited in a September 2026 update from pandemic data tracker Michael Hoerger.

A new survey from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases finds that most US adults support vaccines, yet many remain unclear about current recommendations for respiratory vaccines, such as those for flu, COVID-19, and RSV. The findings highlight a gap between general trust in vaccination and public understanding of which shots are advised and when.

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.