COVID

You can now get a revamped COVID-19 booster shot designed to better protect against the most dominant strains of the virus.

Why it matters: The boosters are becoming available ahead of winter, when cases tend to rise, and can help ward off hospitalizations and death linked to the virus, Joel Tumlison, medical director for immunizations at the Arkansas Department of Health, said Tuesday afternoon during a call with reporters.

A new COVID-19 variant, BA.5, is now the dominant strain in the U.S., Axios' Tina Reed writes.

Why it matters: The variant is the most transmissible to date.

While the graph above looks promising compared to January, Arkansas' coronavirus cases are on the rise again.

• On Wednesday, 1,332 cases were reported, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. It's the second consecutive daily increase over 1,000.

The littlest among us can now get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Driving the news: CDC director Rochelle Walensky signed off on allowing Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 shots for children as young as 6 months last Saturday.

COVID-19 cases are on the rise in Arkansas.

By the numbers: The state Department of Health reported an increase of 2,087 active cases over a one-week period ending Tuesday, compared to an increase of 1,289 the week prior and 507 the week before that.

There's now an average of more than 105,000 new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. each day, according to the New York Times.

• That's the most since February at the end of the Omicron wave.

Arkansas scientists want to study your poop.

What's happening: Three University of Arkansas professors are applying for a $30 million grant from the CDC to expand surveillance, research and training for the COVID-19 virus and other diseases in wastewater, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports.

Walmart said in a memo today it will no longer require fully vaccinated U.S. employees to wear masks at work. However, those who wish to wear a mask while working are permitted to do so.

Driving the news: New COVID cases are plunging and the U.S. appears to be on its way out of this wave of the pandemic after less than two months, Axios' reported. And NIAID director Anthony Fauci this week said the country is headed out of the "full-blown pandemic phase of COVID-19."