First real-world data show Omicron booster kept seniors out of hospitals
2 years, 2 months ago

First real-world data show Omicron booster kept seniors out of hospitals

LA Times  

Vials of Pfizer and BioNTech’s Omicron-targeting COVID-19 vaccine are seen on a production line at a manufacturing facility in Kalamazoo, Mich. In the first real-world test of vaccine boosters specially designed to protect against the Omicron variant, Israeli researchers have found that people 65 and older who got an updated jab were 81% less likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than those who did not. The study’s authors, who hail from Israel’s Clalit Health Services and several Israeli universities, wrote that their findings “highlight the importance of bivalent-booster vaccination in this high-risk population, and the necessity to increase efforts to encourage eligible people to be vaccinated.” The Omicron-specific vaccines are called “bivalent” boosters because they use two prompts to train the immune system to recognize the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Even before it was rolled out, however, the Omicron variant began spinning myriad subvariants, raising new concerns about how effectively bivalent boosters would continue to protect. Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said the Israeli study makes a good case that for those 65 and older, the bivalent booster helps.

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History of this topic

Why Americans are opting out of getting a COVID booster shot
4 months ago

Why Americans are opting out of getting a COVID booster shot

Daily Mail  

A recent survey reveals that a significant number of Americans are unlikely to get a COVID-19 booster vaccine this season. Conducted by the Pew Research Center between October 21 and 27, the survey of 9,593 U.S. adults found that 60% of respondents said they would 'probably not' get an updated vaccine. A full 81% of Republicans said they probably wouldn't …

Covid cases are rising again, but chances of long-term complications are lower
8 months, 1 week ago

Covid cases are rising again, but chances of long-term complications are lower

Live Mint  

A summer Covid wave is hitting the country, but there’s one consolation: Your chances of developing long Covid have fallen since the start of the pandemic. By contrast, the risk of developing long Covid dropped to 3.5% with the virus’s Omicron variant among vaccinated people. “There’s less virus to go around, to cause havoc, to persist in the tissues—all of …

Computer simulation predicts Australia's COVID-19 vaccine campaign prevented thousands of deaths before Omicron spread
11 months, 1 week ago

Computer simulation predicts Australia's COVID-19 vaccine campaign prevented thousands of deaths before Omicron spread

ABC  

In short: A new research study suggests the COVID-19 vaccine campaign prevented 17,760 deaths among NSW residents aged 50 years and over. A new research study suggests the COVID-19 vaccine campaign prevented 17,760 deaths among NSW residents aged 50 years and over. Their research used modelling of state and federal health department data to show the effect on over-50s in …

'Defences tend to fade over time': US health agency recommends older to get another COVID shot this spring
1 year, 1 month ago

'Defences tend to fade over time': US health agency recommends older to get another COVID shot this spring

India TV News  

Washington: Older US adults should roll up their sleeves for another COVID-19 shot, even if they got a booster in the fall, an influential government advisory panel said on Wednesday. The panel voted 11-1 to say Americans 65 and older should get another dose of the updated vaccine that became available in September — if at least four months have …

Older US adults should get another COVID-19 shot, health officials recommend
1 year, 1 month ago

Older US adults should get another COVID-19 shot, health officials recommend

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Older U.S. adults should roll up their sleeves for another COVID-19 shot, even if they got a booster in the fall, U.S. health officials said Wednesday. The advisory panel’s decision came after a lengthy discussion about whether to say older people “may” get the shots or if they “should” do so. “I am trying to make it …

Older U.S. adults should get another COVID-19 shot, CDC recommends
1 year, 1 month ago

Older U.S. adults should get another COVID-19 shot, CDC recommends

LA Times  

Older U.S. adults should roll up their sleeves for another COVID-19 shot, even if they got a booster in the fall, federal health officials said Wednesday. The advisory panel’s decision came after a lengthy discussion about whether to say older people “may” get the shots or if they “should” do so. “Most people are coming in either wanting the vaccine …

New COVID-19 vaccines available in Australia: Millions urged to get a booster as cases rise
1 year, 3 months ago

New COVID-19 vaccines available in Australia: Millions urged to get a booster as cases rise

Daily Mail  

New COVID-19 vaccines targeting the current Omicron variant of the virus are available in community pharmacies throughout Australia. Pharmacy Guild of Australia National President Trent Twomey says the new vaccine available on Monday is targeted at the strain of the virus which is currently circulating among the population. 'With COVID-19 cases on the rise, it is important anyone who is …

Covid vaccine: Over-65s urged to get booster jabs as hospital cases rise
1 year, 6 months ago

Covid vaccine: Over-65s urged to get booster jabs as hospital cases rise

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The NHS …

Ron DeSantis warns Florida residents under 65 not to get Covid booster shot – against CDC guidance
1 year, 6 months ago

Ron DeSantis warns Florida residents under 65 not to get Covid booster shot – against CDC guidance

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In a statement from DeSantis’s office released 13 September, the governor said, “I will not …

CDC Approves New COVID-19 Booster Amid Rapid Spread Of New 'Eris' Subvariant
1 year, 6 months ago

CDC Approves New COVID-19 Booster Amid Rapid Spread Of New 'Eris' Subvariant

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has approved the latest booster for COVID-19 as cases continue to rise amid the spread of the virus’s omicron variants. “We have more tools than ever to prevent the worst outcomes from COVID-19,” she said in a statement, stressing that updated vaccinations will “better protect you and your loved …

New COVID-19 vaccinations are coming, CDC says. The shots will likely be available this week
1 year, 6 months ago

New COVID-19 vaccinations are coming, CDC says. The shots will likely be available this week

LA Times  

Allan Fernandez, 7, middle, is vaccinated by Dr. David Bolour, left, as CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky looks on in Ted Watkins Memorial Park last year. “Although hospitalization rates are currently low in some age groups, we have seen rates increase in recent weeks, and anticipate further increases as we enter respiratory virus season.” CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen on …

CBS News poll finds less concern about new COVID variants now than with Omicron
1 year, 6 months ago

CBS News poll finds less concern about new COVID variants now than with Omicron

CBS News  

Despite a recent rise in COVID cases and new variants, most Americans aren't concerned about getting COVID. There is less concern specifically about new variants today than there was about the Omicron variant as it was emerging in late 2021. As has long been the case with the coronavirus, concern, attention and action are all connected: 40% report following news …

Should you get the new COVID booster? The CDC is about to decide
1 year, 6 months ago

Should you get the new COVID booster? The CDC is about to decide

LA Times  

A nurse prepares a syringe of a COVID-19 vaccine. The CDC’s vaccine advisors will soon decide whether to recommend the latest COVID-19 boosters only for frail, older, sick and immunocompromised people or to offer it to everyone over 6 months of age. “I don’t plan to get it myself,” said Dr. Paul Offit, the director of the Vaccine Education Center …

Moderna says updated COVID vaccine is effective against ‘highly-mutated’ BA.2.86 variant
1 year, 6 months ago

Moderna says updated COVID vaccine is effective against ‘highly-mutated’ BA.2.86 variant

Hindustan Times  

Moderna on Wednesday said clinical trial data showed its updated COVID-19 vaccine will likely be effective against the highly-mutated BA.2.86 subvariant of the coronavirus that has raised fears of a resurgence of infections. The Omicron offshoot carries more than 35 mutations in key portions of the virus compared with XBB.1.5, the dominant variant through most of 2023 and the target …

COVID-19 hospitalizations in the US are on the rise again, but not like before
1 year, 7 months ago

COVID-19 hospitalizations in the US are on the rise again, but not like before

Associated Press  

Here we go again: COVID-19 hospital admissions have inched upward in the United States since early July in a small-scale echo of the three previous summers. But it’s a far cry from past peaks, like the 44,000 weekly hospital admissions in early January, the nearly 45,000 in late July 2022, or the 150,000 admissions during the omicron surge of January …

COVID-19 hospitalizations in the US are on the rise again, but not like before
1 year, 7 months ago

COVID-19 hospitalizations in the US are on the rise again, but not like before

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Here we go again: COVID-19 …

Next round of COVID-19 shots in fall will target latest omicron strain
1 year, 9 months ago

Next round of COVID-19 shots in fall will target latest omicron strain

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — The next round of COVID-19 vaccines will target one of the latest versions of the coronavirus, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday. The agency told vaccine makers to provide protection against just one omicron strain, known as XBB.1.5. The three U.S. companies that make COVID-19 shots said this week they had geared up to make the …

FDA advisers endorse updating COVID vaccines to target latest omicron strain
1 year, 9 months ago

FDA advisers endorse updating COVID vaccines to target latest omicron strain

Associated Press  

The COVID-19 vaccines are on track for a big recipe change this fall. Today’s vaccines still contain the original coronavirus strain, the one that started the pandemic — even though that was long ago supplanted by mutated versions as the virus rapidly evolves. While infections have declined, the virus could be a real concern next winter, FDA’s vaccine chief Dr. …

COVID vaccine should be updated to target XBB strain, FDA committee says
1 year, 9 months ago

COVID vaccine should be updated to target XBB strain, FDA committee says

LA Times  

Commuters with and without face masks walk through Union Station in Los Angeles in December. The unanimous recommendation from the Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisory committee follows that of agency staff, who in a memo acknowledged that while older vaccine formulas can still help stave off severe disease, “protection wanes with time and is reduced against subsequent waves of …

An FDA panel meets about which COVID strains the U.S. will target with vaccines
1 year, 9 months ago

An FDA panel meets about which COVID strains the U.S. will target with vaccines

NPR  

An FDA panel meets about which COVID strains the U.S. will target with vaccines An advisory committee to the Food and Drug Administration meets to discuss the COVID strains that vaccines in the U.S. will target this fall. ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: Updated COVID vaccines are coming this fall, and they'll likely target a variant that's circulating now. HUANG: Yeah, you …

FDA advisers back updated COVID shots for fall vaccinations
1 year, 9 months ago

FDA advisers back updated COVID shots for fall vaccinations

NPR  

FDA advisers back updated COVID shots for fall vaccinations Enlarge this image toggle caption Esteban Felix/AP Esteban Felix/AP A panel of expert advisers to the Food and Drug Administration voted unanimously Thursday to recommend that the COVID-19 vaccine be updated to target emerging subvariants of omicron. The COVID shot that's currently available is known as a "bivalent" vaccine because it …

Opinion: Will you need the latest COVID booster? It depends
1 year, 11 months ago

Opinion: Will you need the latest COVID booster? It depends

LA Times  

As the Biden administration prepares for the federal COVID-19 public health emergency to end on May 11, the new normal is markedly better than the earlier phase of the pandemic in which we lost more than a million American lives. New variants always loom, one of the latest being XBB.1.16 — nicknamed Arcturus by some on social media — which …

Extra COVID-19 booster now open to some high-risk Americans
1 year, 11 months ago

Extra COVID-19 booster now open to some high-risk Americans

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Older Americans and people with weak immune systems can get an extra COVID-19 booster dose this spring. From now on, anyone getting a Pfizer or Moderna dose — whether it’s a booster or their first-ever vaccination — will get an updated version rather than the outdated original shots. People 65 or older who already had one Pfizer or …

CDC signs off on additional Covid-19 booster doses for certain people
1 year, 11 months ago

CDC signs off on additional Covid-19 booster doses for certain people

CNN  

CNN — The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its recommendations on the Covid-19 vaccines on Wednesday to allow another dose of the bivalent booster for people who are 65 and older or who have weakened immune systems and who “want the option of added protection” against the coronavirus. The move aligns with Tuesday’s US Food and Drug …

Extra spring COVID booster cleared for certain Americans
1 year, 11 months ago

Extra spring COVID booster cleared for certain Americans

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy U.S. regulators on Tuesday cleared …

Extra spring COVID booster cleared for certain Americans
1 year, 11 months ago

Extra spring COVID booster cleared for certain Americans

LA Times  

On Tuesday, regulators cleared another booster dose for older adults and people with weak immune systems so they can shore up protection this spring. U.S. regulators on Tuesday cleared another COVID-19 booster dose for older adults and people with weak immune systems so they can shore up protection this spring — while taking steps to make the vaccinations simpler for …

Pfizer Bivalent Vaccine Reduces Covid-related Death Risk by 68 Pc in Older People: Study
1 year, 11 months ago

Pfizer Bivalent Vaccine Reduces Covid-related Death Risk by 68 Pc in Older People: Study

News 18  

Vulnerable people aged 65 years and over receiving the Pfizer bivalent mRNA vaccine booster dose showed 72 per cent lower risk of Covid-related hospitalisation and 68 per cent lower risk of Covid-related death, according to a new study published in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases. Israel has prioritised bivalent mRNA booster vaccines for people at high risk of severe …

Another COVID-19 booster shot may be coming. But interest is waning
1 year, 11 months ago

Another COVID-19 booster shot may be coming. But interest is waning

LA Times  

As government officials close the book on the emergency phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, health authorities are turning their attention to the next chapter of the vaccination campaign. California End of an era: L.A. County lifts COVID-19 emergency The county public health chief says emergency orders are no longer needed ‘to ensure we have and can use life-saving tools and …

COVID-19: World Health Organization calls for boosters for elderly, vulnerable groups | DETAILS
1 year, 11 months ago

COVID-19: World Health Organization calls for boosters for elderly, vulnerable groups | DETAILS

India TV News  

COVID-19: World Health Organization calls for boosters for elderly, vulnerable groups | DETAILS COVID-19 rising cases: The updated recommendation, issued this week, came after a meeting of WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization. COVID-19 rising cases: In the wake of another rise in coronavirus cases in several countries, the World Health Organization has recommended booster vaccination for the …

After high coverage of primary COVID vaccination, precautionary dose uptake stands at 27%
2 years ago

After high coverage of primary COVID vaccination, precautionary dose uptake stands at 27%

The Hindu  

Despite the high coverage of primary COVID vaccination and second dose, India’s precautionary dose uptake stands at 27%, according to data released by the Union Health Ministry. The Union Health Ministry maintained that at present Omicron and its sub-lineages continue to be the predominant variants with no evidence of an increase in hospitalisation and/or mortality which has been reported. Advisory …

Australian adults will be able to get fifth dose of COVID-19 vaccine later this month
2 years, 1 month ago

Australian adults will be able to get fifth dose of COVID-19 vaccine later this month

ABC  

Australian adults will be able to get a fifth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine within a fortnight, after the federal government accepted advice from its expert vaccine advisory body. Key points: From February 20, people 18 and over who have not had a COVID-19 vaccine or positive case in the last six months are eligible for another shot Uptake of …

FDA advisers set to consider one-and-done annual covid booster plan
2 years, 2 months ago

FDA advisers set to consider one-and-done annual covid booster plan

Live Mint  

The message has come through loud and clear that Americans have already had enough of frequent Covid shots. The new strategy would require health officials to meet each year to review which strains of the virus should be included in the shots, just as they do with flu, for use in September. “I don’t think that we can chase after …

FDA’s advisors back plan to simplify COVID-19 vaccinations
2 years, 2 months ago

FDA’s advisors back plan to simplify COVID-19 vaccinations

LA Times  

Syringes with COVDI-19 vaccines are prepared at a free public clinic in Lynwood last year. “We’re still protected against severe disease, thank goodness,” even after the latest Omicron strains cropped up, said FDA advisor Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The first step: The FDA advisory panel voted unanimously that people should get the same …

Officials say Pfizer's bivalent COVID shot may be linked to stroke
2 years, 2 months ago

Officials say Pfizer's bivalent COVID shot may be linked to stroke

Daily Mail  

Ischemic strokes are caused when artery blockages deny blood to the brain Health officials are investigating whether Pfizer's updated Covid booster increases the risk of strokes in people over the age of 65. CDC officials report that people over 65 who receive the updated Covid booster shot could be at an increased risk of suffering a stroke The CDC reports …

Sooner or later, India has to develop Omicron-based boosters
2 years, 2 months ago

Sooner or later, India has to develop Omicron-based boosters

The Hindu  

Three years after the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Wuhan, China is witnessing a very high number of daily fresh infections after abruptly abandoning the zero-COVID strategy, leading to hospitals getting overwhelmed and crematoriums struggling to cope up with a large influx of bodies. “We can infer that the vulnerable, like the rest of the country, may have been widely infected, but …

'Consider 2nd Booster': A Request Given to Mansukh Mandaviya During Covid-19 Meeting with Doctors
2 years, 3 months ago

'Consider 2nd Booster': A Request Given to Mansukh Mandaviya During Covid-19 Meeting with Doctors

News 18  

Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya has been urged to consider a second booster dose for Covid-19, especially for healthcare workers and frontline workers. According to a Deutsche Welle article published in January, a study conducted in Israel suggested that fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine does not offer significant protection from the Omicron variant. Sarah Fortune, John LaPorte Given Professor …

Omicron boosters for the youngest children are here. Will they make a difference?
2 years, 3 months ago

Omicron boosters for the youngest children are here. Will they make a difference?

LA Times  

Updated COVID-19 booster shots are now available for the youngest children in California, a welcome development for officials hoping to augment vaccine coverage and head off a viral resurgence this winter. “We’re always concerned with lower vaccination rates among children,” said Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer, “in particular because, as we’ve seen, some children will still get …

New Omicron sub-variant is mild: Doctors
2 years, 3 months ago

New Omicron sub-variant is mild: Doctors

Deccan Chronicle  

HYDERABAD: The Omicron sub-variant BF.7 wave will be milder than those caused by previous variants, according to city doctors, and there is no cause to fear with people having developed strong immunity both due to the Covid vaccine and numerous variants spreading in communities. Given the threat of the new variant that is quickly spreading in China and its projected …

COVID-19: no need for scaremongering, precautions needed, say health experts
2 years, 3 months ago

COVID-19: no need for scaremongering, precautions needed, say health experts

The Hindu  

Even as the Central and State governments have called for a general alert over a possible rise in COVID-19 cases, public health experts have warned against scaremongering over COVID-19. Public health experts point out that as the new virus variants coming into circulation are the sub variants of Omicron, which in itself was less lethal than Delta, there was no …

Hospitalizations signal rising COVID-19 risk for US seniors
2 years, 3 months ago

Hospitalizations signal rising COVID-19 risk for US seniors

Associated Press  

Coronavirus-related hospital admissions are climbing again in the United States, with older adults a growing share of U.S. deaths and less than half of nursing home residents up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations. These alarming signs portend a difficult winter for seniors, which worries 81-year-old nursing home resident Bartley O’Hara, who said he is “vaccinated up to the eyeballs” and …

Hospitalizations signal rising COVID-19 risk for US seniors
2 years, 3 months ago

Hospitalizations signal rising COVID-19 risk for US seniors

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. These alarming signs portend a difficult winter for seniors, …

FDA clears updated COVID-19 vaccines for kids under age 5
2 years, 3 months ago

FDA clears updated COVID-19 vaccines for kids under age 5

Associated Press  

U.S. regulators on Thursday cleared doses of the updated COVID-19 vaccines for children younger than age 5. “Vaccination is the best way we know to help prevent the serious outcomes of COVID-19, such as hospitalization and death,” Dr. Peter Marks, FDA’s vaccine chief, told The Associated Press. The FDA decided that: --Children under age 6 who’ve already gotten two original …

FDA clears updated COVID-19 vaccines for kids under age 5
2 years, 3 months ago

FDA clears updated COVID-19 vaccines for kids under age 5

LA Times  

Nora Burlingame, 3, is held by her mother, Dina Burlingame, as she celebrates with nurse Luann Majeed after getting a dose of COVID-19 vaccine in June. U.S. regulators on Thursday cleared doses of the updated COVID-19 vaccines for children younger than 5. The FDA decided that: • Children under age 6 who’ve already gotten two original doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 …

Pfizer asks FDA to clear updated COVID shot for kids under 5
2 years, 3 months ago

Pfizer asks FDA to clear updated COVID shot for kids under 5

LA Times  

A nurse in Seattle gives a dose of Pfizer’s original COVID-19 vaccine shot to a 20-month-old child in June. Pfizer is asking U.S. regulators to authorize its updated COVID-19 vaccine for the initial series of shots for children under age 5. Pfizer is asking U.S. regulators to authorize its updated COVID-19 vaccine for children under age 5 — not as …

As COVID-19 spikes in California, booster shots could make all the difference
2 years, 3 months ago

As COVID-19 spikes in California, booster shots could make all the difference

LA Times  

With coronavirus cases and hospitalizations rising in Los Angeles County, officials are voicing new confidence in the effectiveness of the updated COVID-19 booster shot. New data has found that the updated COVID-19 vaccines offer “significant additional protection” against symptomatic infection in people who were previously vaccinated or boosted with the older formula. “We have seen very low uptake of the …

Next Covid strain ‘could be more dangerous than Omicron’
2 years, 3 months ago

Next Covid strain ‘could be more dangerous than Omicron’

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The next strain of coronavirus could be more dangerous than the …

Next Covid-19 Strain May Be More Dangerous, Says New Study
2 years, 4 months ago

Next Covid-19 Strain May Be More Dangerous, Says New Study

News 18  

While China is experiencing a sudden surge in COVID cases, the rest of the world is comparatively doing better with the current Omicron strain in retreat mode. However, our concerns may be far from over as a new lab report says that the next COVID-19 variant may be way more dangerous than the Omicron strain. This study has been conducted …

After a year, omicron still driving COVID surges and worries
2 years, 4 months ago

After a year, omicron still driving COVID surges and worries

Associated Press  

A year after omicron began its assault on humanity, the ever-morphing coronavirus mutant drove COVID-19 case counts higher in many places just as Americans gathered for Thanksgiving. “It’s making a clear comeback.” Nationally, new COVID cases averaged around 39,300 a day as of Tuesday — far lower than last winter but a vast undercount because of reduced testing and reporting. …

US renews push for COVID boosters as data show they protect
2 years, 4 months ago

US renews push for COVID boosters as data show they protect

Associated Press  

Americans who got the updated COVID-19 booster shots are better protected against symptomatic infection than those who haven’t — at least for now, U.S. health officials said Tuesday. Speaking at a White House briefing expected to be his last before he retires from the government at the end of year, Fauci said what “may be the final message I give …

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