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California Reports First Local NB.1.8.1 Variant Case

5/28/2025

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Summary

Story summary

California has reported its first local case of the highly contagious NB.1.8.1 COVID-19 variant, raising alarms as cases surge in China and Europe. In a controversial move, the Trump Administration has also excluded the COVID vaccine from the CDC's immunization schedule for healthy children and pregnant women, claiming insufficient evidence for its necessity.

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Story summary

California has reported its first local case of the highly contagious NB.1.8.1 COVID-19 variant, raising alarms as cases surge in China and Europe. In a controversial move, the Trump Administration has also excluded the COVID vaccine from the CDC's immunization schedule for healthy children and pregnant women, claiming insufficient evidence for its necessity.