COVID Activity Is Elevated Across 26 States In Summer Surge, Biden Remains In Isolation: 3 Vaccine Stocks To Watch
More than half of the states in the U.S. are experiencing significant Covid-19 activity in wastewater, and President Joe Biden remains in isolation after announcing Wednesday he caught the virus for the third time.
Twenty-six states are reporting either “high” or “very high” levels of the virus at various sites, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
States with the highest levels include Arkansas, California, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon and Texas.
The Biden administration no longer considers Covid-19 a public health emergency and instead treats it as a routine respiratory virus to be prevented through an annual vaccination campaign, the Washington Post reported.
Biden is staying at his Rehoboth Beach home in Delaware while continuing to perform presidential duties.
Vaccine Stocks To Watch: Novovax, Inc. (NASDAQ:NVAX), Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) and Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) are all making new Covid vaccines that should be available before the end of September, the New York Times reported.
The Novavax vaccine will target JN.1, the variant that was prominent in the winter and spring.
Pfizer and Moderna are developing shots aimed at KP.2, which accounts for about one in four new cases. Two related variants, KP.3 and LB.1, are the culprint behind more than half of new cases, the Times said.
All three variants are descendants of JN.1, so each of the vaccines is expected to be effective against them.
NVAX, MRNA, PFE Price Action: Novovax shares were down 5.7% to $14.94 late in Thursday’s session. Moderna was down 2.16% to $121.37. Pfizer is down 1.07% at $29.70.
Exchange-traded funds that hold shares of Pfizer, which has the largest market capitalization of the group of vaccine developers at $169 billion, declined in Thursday afternoon trading.
- First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF (NASDAQ:FTHX) fell 0.35%.
- First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund (NYSE:FDL) slipped 0.69%.
- Invesco Pharmceuticals ETF (NYSE:PJP) slid 0.55%.
- Harbor Health Care ETF (NYSE:MEDI) lost 0.33%.
- Invesco S&P Ultra dividend Revenue ETF (NYSE:RDIV) declined 0.66%.
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