Allison Aubrey

If you long to see loved ones or dip your toes in the sand, you're not alone.

It's been over a year since the pandemic locked down most of the U.S., and despite guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to avoid nonessential travel, more Americans are now on the go — booking flights and planning vacations.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued new guidance for vaccinated people, giving the green light to resume some pre-pandemic activities and relax precautions that have been in place.

COVID-19 vaccines are akin to liquid gold these days. As more people become eligible, the demand continues to outstrip current supply. And while states aim to manage their weekly allotments of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to ensure there are enough shots for second doses, there are scattered reports of snafus and postponed appointments.

Updated at 6:49 a.m. ET

As coronavirus cases surge around the country, President-elect Joe Biden says voters have given him a mandate to take action.

"Daily cases are skyrocketing," Biden said in remarks Friday evening in Wilmington, Del., as the nation waited for the election to be called. "I want everyone — everyone — to know on Day 1, we're going to put our plan to control this virus into action."

As Election Day nears, the pandemic looms large. Amid a surge in new cases, the coronavirus has changed the way we live, work and — perhaps — how some Americans will vote.

As President Trump makes the case that his leadership has saved lives in the pandemic and ushered in record-fast vaccine and therapeutics development, Joe Biden has described Trump's handling of COVID-19 as "totally irresponsible" and points to American's health as the nation's top domestic issue.

Pfizer announced this week that it has received FDA approval to enroll children as young as 12 years old in its COVID-19 vaccine trial. The expansion is aimed at understanding whether the vaccine would be safe and effective for adolescents.

Until now, children under 16 have not been included in any of the COVID-19 vaccine trials in the U.S., and the average age of participants has skewed much older.

President Trump will be staying in the presidential suite at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for the next few days, according to the White House.

The president's doctor released a written statement saying Trump is "is doing well," after testing positive for the coronavirus, adding that the president is "not requiring any supplemental oxygen."

As we get closer to a COVID-19 vaccine, it's exciting to imagine a day when the virus is gone. But a vaccine will not be a magic bullet. In fact, it may be only about 50% effective.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief of the National Institute of Health and Infectious Disease, has tried to set realistic expectations when discussing the importance of a vaccine. "We don't know yet what the efficacy might be. We don't know if it will be 50% or 60%," Fauci said during a Brown University event in August.