The COVID-19 vaccines are on track for a big recipe change this fall.

The World Health Organization chief says the coronavirus remains a global health emergency.

Michigan health officials are planning to begin the rollout of newly updated COVID-19 booster shots this week.

According to the CDC, the omicron variant BA.5 has consistently become more dominant since May. In fact, at the start of July, it officially became the most dominant strain accounting for 53% of isolates, increasing to 65% this week.

Michigan health officials are encouraging residents to continue taking steps to prevent COVID-19 spread, as an omicron subvariant is expected to trigger a rise in cases.

U-M officials are urging community members to stay vigilant as the BA.2 variant spreads on campus.

Mayor Mike Duggan tested positive for COVID-19 and is now working from home for the time being. His case comes as public health officials keep a close eye on the latest surge in the United Kingdom.

In kids, the first question is simply whether the vaccine is safe, and on that account, the answer is yes. Although the study wasn’t large enough to detect any infrequent side effects, most of those seen when a low dose Moderna vaccine was given to these young children were in the same range that we see with any other, as pediatric vaccine safety isn’t really the issue. The question is, how effective is it?

Coronavirus cases appear to be stabilizing in Michigan, but in other parts of the world, they are increasing.

It is safe for most people to plan a getaway this spring, but you need to make sure you’re comfortable with the amount of risk involved, depending on your individual circumstances.

If you couldn’t receive the vaccine because of an allergy or other reaction, or your immune system is severely compromised because, for example, you’ve had a transplant or you’re on chemotherapy. The vaccine isn’t going to be as protective.

New COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to decline in Michigan, down from record-high numbers just a few weeks ago.

The White House put out new data showing impressive differences between the death and hospitalization rates caused by omicron compared to previous variants.

Treatments for people who have become infected with COVID are also being touted by officials as another way for us to reduce the toll COVID-19 is exacting.

The stock market is losing crucial support from the Federal Reserve.

Pfizer and BioNTech have begun studying a COVID-19 vaccine tweaked to match to the omicron variant in healthy adults.

The head of the World Health Organization is warning that conditions remain ideal for more coronavirus variants to emerge and says it’s dangerous to assume omicron is the last one or that “we are in the endgame.”.

The White House COVID-19 Response Team held a briefing to update Americans on the effectiveness of the booster shot against the omicron variant and the free COVID test that is being administered by mail.

For the first time since the start of the COVID omicron surge in Michigan, hospital officials with the Henry Ford Health System said they’re starting to see some signs of early progress.

This week on Flashpoint, the state of Michigan’s chief medical officer Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian discussed the COVID-19 pandemic in our state -- have we seen the worst of it or is it yet to come?

Our Dr. Frank McGeorge, MD, has been answering questions about COVID-19, the vaccines and masks since this pandemic started.

On Friday, Washtenaw County Health Department officials urged community members to use available strategies to prevent cases of severe illness and reduce transmission.

Just last week, we asked: If you’re a health care worker, what are you seeing lately on the job?

Leaders of the Henry Ford Health System provided an update Thursday morning on the status of COVID hospitalizations and the virus’ impact on operations.

Live at 10:30 a.m. Thursday: President Biden delivers an update on his administration’s whole-of-government COVID-19 surge response.

Supplies are limited and will be given out on a first-come-first-served basis by the Washtenaw County Health Department.

This was the chance for viewers to have a pretty intimate discussion with State Rep. Debbie Dingell and other leaders about COVID-19.Everyone involved had the chance to really speak their minds on where we are in the pandemic.

With Michigan in the midst of its most dramatic COVID spike to date, health officials held a briefing to address this surge and talk about where the state is heading.

Public transportation is among the businesses that have been impacted by COVID and SMART Bus is no exception.

Classes at Oakland University will remain virtual through the end of January due to the spread of the COVID omicron variant, officials said.

With the coronavirus spreading at an unseen rate in Michigan and beyond, it can be hard to imagine any end in sight.

With the coronavirus spreading at an unseen rate in Michigan and beyond, it can be hard to imagine any end in sight.

The majority of public schools in Ann Arbor will resume in-person instruction next week.

Beaumont Health is sounding the alarm as the omicron variant is running rampant on its doctors, nurses, and other employees, who have reached their breaking point.

Michigan Medicine is experiencing staff shortages due to the latest COVID surge.

Look, life as we know it right now is pretty insane. Omicron is raging across the country, it didn’t even feel like 2021 happened and America’s sweetheart, Betty White, is dead.

Detroit’s Chief Health Officer says that there is a lot of concern over the omicron variant as it is exploding across the city. Only 46% of Detroiter’s have received their first dose of the vaccine, while 38% have two shots.

Cases of COVID-19 increased at U-M days before the winter semester began.

While most Metro Detroit students have already returned from Winter break, Wednesday marks the first day back for Warren Consolidated schools.

LynxDx opens a new location as cases driven by the omicron variant rise in area, state.

President Joe Biden is urging concern but not alarm as the United States set records for daily reported COVID-19 cases and his administration struggles to ease concerns about testing shortages.

U-M students will return to in-person instruction on Wednesday.

Watch live coverage as President Biden meets with the White House COVID-19 response team on developments and response efforts to the omicron variant.

Why are so many vaccinated people getting COVID-19 lately.

Here are tonight's top stories.

Students in Ann Arbor Public Schools will start the first week of January learning from home as COVID cases surge locally.

The Washtenaw County Health Department is urging residents to get vaccinated, avoid large gatherings and isolate from others if sick.

The Michigan COVID-19 landscape heading into 2022 is perhaps murkier than it was heading into 2021.

The remainder of the world junior hockey championship has been canceled over fears of a COVID-19 outbreak.

We might not be able to claim that 2021 was *the* wildest year in recent history (2020 will likely get that credit for quite some time), but it might be a close second.

Greece’s health minister says music will be banned at all commercial venues for New Year’s celebrations as part of new restrictions announced in response to a surge in COVID-19 infections fueled by the omicron variant.

Residents across Metro Detroit are waiting long hours at COVID testing sites as the omicron variant continues to spike throughout our nation.

The latest COVID-19 variant is upending holiday plans for tens of thousands of travelers — but it didn’t do much damage to holiday shopping.

With so many people becoming infected with COVID-19 right now, ClickOnDetroit readers and WDIV Local 4 viewers are asking when is the best time to get vaccinated after you have recovered?

Here are this morning's top stories.

For the first time since restrictions were lifted in June, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is hosting an official COVID-19 briefing on Tuesday morning as omicron cases surge in the U.S.

President Joe Biden is announcing plans to deliver 500 million free COVID-19 tests to Americans, increase support for hospitals and expand the availability of vaccines to confront a winter surge of coronavirus cases driven by the fast-spreading omicron variant.

Experts estimate that around 109 million Americans will travel for the holidays this week -- most of those travelers will do so by car.

Omicron is now the dominant version of the coronavirus in the United States and accounted for 73% of new infections last week, according to federal health officials.

State officials say their supply of monoclonal antibodies is good enough right now. Still, the demand is high as hospitals struggle to make it available to patients who desperately need it.

Omicron has raced ahead of other variants and is now the dominant version of the coronavirus in the U.S. Federal health officials said Monday that omicron accounted for an estimated 73% of new infections last week.

Dr. Adnan Munkarah with Henry Ford Health System said there’s no other way to put it: Our COVID numbers in Michigan are going in the wrong direction.

Omicron variant detected in school community.

The latest COVID-19 variant omicron has now been identified in five counties across the state of Michigan, officials said Friday.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says his government is accelerating COVID-19 booster shots and securing oral medicines after speaking with Pfizer Inc. CEO Albert Burla.

Officials with the Henry Ford Health System held a virtual news conference Wednesday morning to provide an update on COVID-19 hospitalizations, vaccinations and the virus’ impact on operations.

The European Union’s top official says omicron is expected to be the dominant coronavirus variant in the 27-nation bloc by mid-January.

British Health Secretary Sajid Javid says the omicron variant of COVID-19 is spreading so rapidly that it has the potential to overwhelm Britain’s hospitals.

Dr. Jim Baker, University of Michigan doctor, immunologist and founder of the allergy clinic, joins Flashpoint host Devin Scillian to discuss problems facing the state's fight against COVID.

Michigan state public health leaders and doctors plan to provide an update on current COVID-19 metrics Friday as they urge residents to protect themselves from COVID and other respiratory illnesses.

Michigan state public health leaders and doctors plan to provide an update on current COVID-19 metrics Friday as they urge residents to protect themselves from COVID and other respiratory illnesses.

Michigan health officials have identified the state’s first case of the COVID-19 omicron variant in Kent County.

Omicron cases have been confirmed in at least nine African countries, with some officials reporting that initial cases appear to be mild.

To protect yourself against the omicron variant, experts say to do what you would against any other variant.

Michigan was already struggling with its fourth surge of the coronavirus before word came that yet another variant, now called omicron, has mutated its way into circulation.

While all eyes are on the new and little-understood omicron variant, the delta form of the coronavirus isn’t finished wreaking havoc in the U.S., sending record numbers of patients to the hospital in some states, especially in the Midwest and New England.

California is reporting its second confirmed case of the omicron COVID variant in as many days.

A person in California has become the first in the U.S. to have an identified case of the omicron variant of COVID-19.

Scientists say it could be weeks before they better understand how dangerous the omicron variant is.

Greece says residents over 60 will have to undergo mandatory vaccinations against COVID-19 or face monthly 100-euro ($114) fine beginning next year.

Britain says it will offer all adults a booster dose of vaccine within two months to bolster the nation’s immunity as the new omicron variant of the coronavirus spreads.

With Michigan in the middle of yet another surge of COVID-19, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was here in Metro Detroit on Monday talking about the ongoing crisis.

Doctors and nurses fear the new omicron variant of the coronavirus could make things even worse at Michigan’s hospitals.

There is global concern about what impact the omicron variant could have on the COVID pandemic. Experts agree that it’s only a matter of time until omicron is detected in the United States.

Watch live coverage as President Biden delivers remarks on the Omicron variant of COVID-19 after meeting with his response team.

A look at how viruses mutate, how variants come about, and what we can do about it.

The World Health Organization is pushing for an international accord to help prevent and fight future pandemics amid the emergence of a worrying new omicron COVID-19 variant.

This is happening just before a travel ban goes into effect for multiple parts of Africa.

Experts are concerned that a new variant of COVID-19, “omicron,” could possibly be even more contagious than the delta variant and more resistant to vaccinations.