Coronavirus Watch: Panel supports Moderna booster shots, discussing J&J

A federal advisory panel voted Thursday to support booster shots of the Moderna vaccine for people 65 and up, as well as younger adults with certain medical problems or jobs that put them at increased risk for infection. 

The panel was expected to meet again Friday to discuss a host of issues surrounding COVID-19 vaccines.

It's unclear whether the committee will have sufficient data to approve the J&J extra dose. About 8,000 people were studied after receiving a second dose two months after their first, and only 17 were tracked after getting a second shot at six months. 

The panel will also consider whether people who initially got a J&J one-dose shot should receive a dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna shots.

It's Friday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from the USA TODAY Network. Here's more news you need to know.

• The U.S. will allow vaccinated foreign nationals to enter the country starting Nov. 8 under a new international travel system.
• The FDA said it would convene a panel of outside experts next month to review the safety and efficacy data of Merck's pill to treat COVID-19.
• Floridawill challenge the Biden administration's vaccine mandate in federal court, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday, vowing that the pending requirement on businesses and hospitals "will go down."
• The announcement of large cash lotteries for people who received their COVID-19 vaccine did not lead to an uptick in vaccinations, according to a study published Friday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
• In August, unvaccinated people were 11.3 times more likely to die of COVID-19 and 6.1 times more likely to test positive, CDC data show.
• Italy's strict vaccine requirements for all workers went into effect Friday. The rule requires all workers to show a health pass to get into their place of employment.

Today's numbers: The U.S. has reported more than 44.7 million COVID-19 cases and 721,000 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Worldwide, there have been more than 239.3 million cases and more than 4.8 million deaths. About 65% of people in the U.S. have received at least one vaccine shot, and about 56% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. Among U.S. adults, 78% have received at least one shot, and about 68% are fully vaccinated.

Tracking the pandemic: See the numbers in your area here. See where cases are rising here. See vaccination rates here. And here, compare vaccinations rates worldwide and see which countries are using which vaccines.

– Grace Hauck, USA TODAY breaking news reporter, @grace_hauck