Pfizer says its COVID pill will protect against severe disease, even from Omicron

Scientists are working to learn more about a new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, that was first detected in South Africa, setting out to discover how transmissible it is, whether the vaccines that are currently available are effective against it, and other answers as much is still unknown about the strain. In order to shore up protection against the virus amid data that show immunity wanes from the vaccines over time, US health officials have expanded their recommendations for who should get COVID-19 booster shots to include people 16 and older. The expansion comes as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations rise in Massachusetts, in what experts fear is the start of a winter surge.