CLAIM
Danish researchers [...] found protection against Omicron turned negative three months after the second dose
DETAILS
Misrepresents source: The study by researchers in Denmark didnt conclude that vaccination made people more prone to infection. On the contrary, their results showed that COVID-19 vaccination reduces peoples risk of infection, although the protection wanes over time and that a booster shot helps to reinforce COVID-19 immunity.
KEY TAKE AWAY
Scientific studies have shown that COVID-19 vaccination provides people with a high level of protection against severe illness and death, even in the face of the Omicron variant. Vaccination can also reduce a persons risk of infection to some extent, although this protection is less effective against the Omicron variant compared to earlier reported variants. However, a booster dose can help to bolster waning immunity.
REVIEW A Substack article written by journalist Alex Berenson claimed that vaccinated people are at higher risk of Omicron, citing a study conducted by researchers in Denmark. The article received more than 2,500 user engagements on Facebook, including more than 1,100 shares. The same claim was also made by U.S. Senator Rand Paul on Fox News, as can be seen in this TikTok video that was shared more than 106,000 times.
The study in question is a preprint, which is a study that hasnt been peer-reviewed by other scientists yet, authored by a team of researchers at Statens Serum Institut. Its aims were to examine the level of protection from vaccination with COVID-19 mRNA vaccines against Omicron infection and track the waning of vaccine effectiveness over time[1]. The researchers used Danish nationwide registries to extract data on COVID-19 PCR test results and vaccination status for Danish residents aged 12 and above.
Health Feedback reached out to the preprints authors for comment. The first author, medical statistician and epidemiologist Christian Holm Hansen, refuted the claim, stating that the Interpretation that our research is evidence of anything but a protective vaccine effect is misrepresentative. [see his full comments below]
He also explained why vaccine effectiveness (VE) was observed to be negative in the study, citing the presence of bias in the VE estimates, saying that Such biases are quite common in VE estimation from observational studies based on population data, unlike in phase III clinical trials. Indeed, a preprint published by scientists in Ontario, Canada, which also examined vaccine effectiveness in an observational study and detected negative vaccine effectiveness[2], was found to have been influenced by behavioural and methodological issues, such as the timing of the observational study, the way in which vaccine passports altered individual risk and changes in access to COVID-19 testing. That preprint is currently being revised.
Hansen offered several reasons for how bias could occur in a study. For example, he pointed out that vaccinated individuals tend to get tested more often than unvaccinated people. Another reason could have to do with the fact that Omicron cases by and large were detected in international travelers, most of whom were vaccinated. We expect therefore that there was an overrepresentation of vaccinated people among the first generations of Omicron cases identified in Denmark, not because the vaccines werent protective, but because the variant hadnt spread far enough into the general population, including into the unvaccinated population, to make for comparable infection rates, he said.
Indeed, the preprint concluded in favor of vaccination, not against it:
Our study contributes to emerging evidence that BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 primary vaccine protection against Omicron decreases quickly over time with booster vaccination offering a significant increase in protection. In light of the exponential rise in Omicron cases, these findings highlight the need for massive rollout of vaccinations and booster vaccinations.
Berenson also claimed that there was the real terror [of] antibody-dependent enhancement from vaccination. Antibody-dependent enhancement, or ADE for short, occurs when antibodies against a virus improve the virus ability to cause infection, rather than impede it. Contrary to the impression given in Berensons article, ADE can arise as a result of antibodies from a previous infection or vaccination, as we see in cases of dengue fever. The phenomenon isnt exclusive to vaccination.
Antibody-dependent enhancement manifests as severe illness. If vaccination made people more prone to severe illness, we would have seen a higher incidence of severe COVID-19 in vaccinated people compared to unvaccinated people. Instead, we observe the opposite: vaccinated people are less likely to develop severe COVID-19 compared to unvaccinated people[3-5]. This is evidence that vaccination isnt leading to ADE.
In summary, claims that the preprint is evidence the vaccines make people more prone to illness are inaccurate and misrepresent the researchers findings. Scientific evidence so far indicates that COVID-19 vaccination continues to provide people with a high level of protection against severe illness and death, even in the face of the Omicron variant. Vaccination can also reduce a persons risk of infection to some extent, although this protection is less effective against the Omicron variant compared to earlier reported variants. However, a booster dose can help to bolster waning immunity. SCIENTISTS FEEDBACK Christian Holm Hansen, Medical Statistician and Epidemiologist, Statens Serum Institut:Interpretation that our research is evidence of anything but a protective vaccine effect is misrepresentative.
The aims of the study were to:(a) determine whether there was any evidence of vaccine protection against Omicron infection after a primary vaccination series and booster vaccination with either the BNT162b2 (Pfizer) or mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccines.(b) investigate evidence of waning vaccine effectiveness over time.
So what did we see?Our study provides evidence of protection against infection with the Omicron variant after completion of a primary vaccination series with the BNT162b2 (Pfizer) or mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccines in the first months after primary vaccination. However, the VE is significantly lower than that against Delta infection and declines rapidly over just a few months. The VE is re-established upon revaccination with the BNT162b2 vaccine.
To expand a little more on this, the protection is strongest in the months immediately after vaccination with an estimated vaccine effectiveness of around 55% for the Pfizer vaccine. A vaccine effectiveness of 55% broadly means that you are 55% less likely to get infected if youre vaccinated than if youre not.
Regarding negative vaccine effectiveness:The research shows early results from the first 20 days of Omicron in Denmark. The fact that the estimated VE is negative during the last period suggests that there is bias in the comparison between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated population. We also make this point in the discussion.
If a study estimate is biased it means that it is measuring something different from what was intended. The VE estimate may be biased if the infection rates in the vaccinated and unvaccinated populations are impacted by effects other than the vaccines.
Such biases are quite common in VE estimation from observational studies based on population data (unlike a phase 3 randomised trial which is the gold standard).
There are a number of reasons why the VE estimate might be negative.
On that basis it is reasonable to expect that the vaccine effectiveness estimates presented in our study are too low.
To conclude, the vaccines protective effect may be low against infection with Omicron after four months, but it is most unlikely to be negative!
I should also point out that our research is not yet peer-reviewed. This is the process where other scientists, epidemiologists assess the work for its rigour and robustness.
Shreveport The Center of Excellence for Emerging Threats (CEVT) continues to provide lifesaving testing and vaccines at theLouisiana State Fairgroundssite located at 3710 Hudson Avenue, Monday through Saturday, 10AM 5PM. Gates close at 4:30PM.This large-scale community clinic will be open on Martin Luther King Jr. DayMonday, January 17.
RegardingBoosters, the FDA recommends:
All vaccinations and/or testing takes place without an individual needing to leave the vehicle.
No appointments are needed for first or second doses of the vaccine.
Individuals should provide ID and insurance information when they arrive at any LSUHS vaccine distribution site. Those that are without insurance are still eligible to receive the vaccine.While pre-registration is encouraged for those ages 18 and up,it is not required to receive the vaccine. To preregister, go to the LSU Health Shreveport website atwww.lsuhs.edu.
LSUHS COVID-19TESTING & VACCINATIONSITE
Louisiana State Fairgrounds3701 Hudson Avenue, Shreveport
LSUHS COVID-19VACCINATIONSITES
Clear Horizon Apartments 4305 Illinois Ave,Shreveport
Webster ParishPublic Health Unit 1200 Homer Road, Minden
Peaceful Rest Baptist Church 8200 St. Vincent Avenue, Shreveport
Sunday, January 1612 PM 3 PM;1stor 2nddoses of vaccine, and booster shots are available.
Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC)6220 E. Texas St, Bossier City
Wednesday, January 191 PM 4 PM;1stor 2nddoses of vaccine, and booster shots are available.
BilBerry Recreational Center 1902 Alabama Avenue, Shreveport
Saturday, January 229 AM 12 PM;1stor 2nddoses of vaccine, and booster shots are available.
Valencia Recreation Center 1800 Viking Dr, Shreveport
Saturday, January 2212:30 PM 3:30 PM;1stor 2nddoses of vaccine, and booster shots are available.
Williams Memorial CME7288 Greenwood Road, Shreveport
Saturday, January 221 PM 4 PM;1stor 2nddoses of vaccine, and booster shots are available.
Starting next month students and families in the Detroit public school community district will be able to roll up their sleeves and get the COVID vaccine at school.
"I've been advocating for this for a while and finally weve been authorized to do so, says DPSCD superintendent Doctor Nikolai Vitti.
Full-time and contracted nurses at DPSCD will be able to administer the COVID vaccine.
Were going to start off in a couple of schools and ramp up where at least 50% of our schools have the vaccine, says Vitti.
I think thats an excellent idea, says Donna Thornton who is a former principal for DPSCD.
Thornton says some parents dont have transportation to get them to vaccine sites, so having the shot in schools will help. Thorton also says it will also offset parents who are hesitant.
"Again I speak from experience they trust the nurses at the school, so if they are trusting the nurses at the school with their health currently, they will be more apt to get the vaccine from that particular nurse," says Thornton.
Natalia Russell is the current principal at Catherine C. Blackwell Institute in Detroit agrees.
"9 times out of 10 every trust whats going on in the school your home away from home so you have a sense of security confidence and comfortability with your neighborhood school, says Russell.
Its all about equity and access, says Marci Oliver.
Oliver has two boys attending DPSCD schools. They're both vaccinated and she is hopeful more of their classmates will get the shot so they can return to face to face learning, because she says virtual school isnt working.
"I think its been very clear that it has impacted our students ability to score well to do well to compete academically so if this has the ability to keep those doors open, I would definitely support it, says Oliver.
Dr. Vitti says as an extra layer of protection the district will also be requiring all parents sign a consent form allowing non-invasive COVID testing if they refuse, they children will have to remain going to school online.
Even with all the restrictions the UI faces with COVID-19 policies, we need to focus on incentivizing vaccines and booster shots.
As students return to classes, cases of COVID-19 are on the rise. To keep students, employees, and the community safe, the University of Iowa needs to prioritize incentivizing vaccines and safety measures.
During the pandemic, Iowas government has consistently failed to take action to stop the spread of the virus. State lawmakers and Gov. Kim Reynolds attempted to ban mask mandates in schools, but it was blocked by a judge. The state Legislature has banned government agencies and businesses from requiring vaccines as a condition of service. These restrictions have limited the amount of action the state Board of Regents can take.
Although the university is encouraging masking and vaccines like last semester, other schools have put more measures into place to slow the spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant of the virus. These measures include adaptations such as starting the first two weeks of classes online.
The UIs Campaign to Organize Graduate Students, or COGS, has called for the UI to implement more COVID mitigations. COGS pointed out on its social media accounts that UI has the least number of policies in place to combat COVID-19 in the Big Ten. At minimum, every other school has implemented mask mandates.
So far, the UI has announced plans to hand out free test kits and upgrade the masks supplied in buildings. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is also offered at Student Health.
Although the Regents have made it difficult to take precautions, mitigating the spread of the virus should still be a priority for the UI by working to incentivize vaccines, masking, and creating a consistent COVID-19 absence policy.
The daily average of COVID-19 cases in Iowa has already surpassed the bleak record set in November of 2020. As of Jan. 16, the daily average for new cases is 5,344, and Johnson County has the third-highest daily average for COVID-19 cases in the state. Things could worsen, as the omicron-fueled wave is predicted to peak in Iowa by the end of February.
Earlier in the month, hospitals were already overwhelmed by cases with ICUs full of mostly unvaccinated Iowans. The best protection we have against the virus is getting the vaccine and booster shots, and the UI needs to do a better job incentivizing these.
About a quarter of the states population has received a booster shot. At this point in the pandemic, getting a booster after six months of being fully vaccinated is crucial in maximizing your protection against the virus.
Experts have been recommending people get their booster shot after six months of initially being fully vaccinated. A recent study conducted by researchers at the Ragon Institute, MIT, and Harvard found people who receive a booster shot have a greater ability to neutralize the omicron variant.
One way the UI could work toward this is by looking into how effective handing out Downtown Iowa City gift cards to those who showed their vaccine card at the beginning of the fall semester. A similar initiative could possibly be reinstated.
Purdue University incentivized students to get vaccinated by entering vaccinated students into a drawing for a year of in-state tuition. Other schools have created similar incentive programs.
There should also be consistent policies and procedures for sick students and staff. As of right now, the Office of the Registrar has no definitive absence policy for COVID-19. You are expected to self-report if you test positive. If youre experiencing symptoms, then youre directed to isolate and get tested.
The UI should make it clear students do not need to worry about unexcused absences when trying to look out for their own health and the health of others.
The Board of Regents has stated they want students to have as normal of a campus experience as possible. We should not be sacrificing safety for normalcy.
We are all tired of cycling through waves of high and low COVID-19 transmission. While the UI has very few COVID-19 mitigations in place compared to other schools, the least it can do is incentive vaccines to help increase vaccination rates on campus and protect the community.
Columns reflect the opinions of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Editorial Board, The Daily Iowan, or other organizations in which the author may be involved.
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed 328.1 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths has now passed 5.53 million. More than 9.65 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.
The French parliament has given final approval to the government's latest COVID-19 measures, including a vaccine pass.
Nepal has begun giving COVID-19 vaccine booster shots. It comes as daily confirmed cases jumped by 4,961 on Sunday - the biggest 24-hour increase in more than six months.
The number of COVID-19 patients in Irish hospitals has fallen week-on-week for the first time since the Omicron variant drove cases to record highs.
Australia's daily COVID-19 cases fell below 100,000 on Sunday for the first time in five days.
Thailand has reported its first death from the Omicron COVID-19 variant, a health official announced yesterday.
England has extended its COVID-19 vaccine booster programme to include 16- and 17-year-olds.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revised its guidance for Americans on wearing masks to protect against COVID-19, recommending using 'the most protective mask you can' while stopping short of advocating nationwide usage of N95 respirators.
Iran has reported its first three deaths from the Omicron COVID-19 variant.
The Philippine health ministry confirmed the local spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant around Manila on Saturday, as infections hit a record high for a third straight day.
Daily new confirmed COVID-19 cases per million people in selected countries.
Image: Our World in Data
The COVID Response Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship is a coalition of 85 global leaders, hosted by the World Economic Forum. Its mission: Join hands in support of social entrepreneurs everywhere as vital first responders to the pandemic and as pioneers of a green, inclusive economic reality.
Its COVID Social Enterprise Action Agenda, outlines 25 concrete recommendations for key stakeholder groups, including funders and philanthropists, investors, government institutions, support organizations, and corporations. In January of 2021, its members launched its 2021 Roadmap through which its members will roll out an ambitious set of 21 action projects in 10 areas of work. Including corporate access and policy change in support of a social economy.
For more information see the Alliance website or its impact story here.
COVAX, the global vaccine-sharing facility - has delivered 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses, one of the organizations which manages it said on Saturday.
Supplies to poorer nations have long been limited because of lack of vaccines, as wealthier states secured most of the doses initially available from December 2020.
But in the last quarter shipments have exponentially increased, allowing COVAX to reach the milestone of 1 billion doses shipped to 144 countries, said Gavi, which co-leads the programme alongside the World Health Organization (WHO).
Despite the recent surge in deliveries, vaccine inequity remains high. The latest WHO data shows 67% of the population in richer nations have been fully vaccinated, compared with only 5% in poorer nations. Over 40% of the world's population has not yet received a first dose.
Gavi is seeking more funds to reach the WHO's goal of vaccinating 70% of the population in poorer nations by July.
Beijing will require travellers to get a COVID-19 test within 72 hours of arrival in the Chinese capital, state media announced on Sunday, a day after the city reported its first Omicron case and as it readies to stage the Winter Olympics next month.
On Saturday, the city reported the first local infection of the highly transmissible Omicron variant, involving a person who had visited multiple malls and restaurants in the previous 14 days. The person had not left the city since the start of this year
The new rule, effective from 22 January to end-March, is aimed to help with early detection of Omicron, which is surging globally, and the control of epidemic risks, Beijing Daily, a government newspaper, said on its official social media account.
Already, the capital city requires inbound travellers to take a COVID-19 test within 48 hours of departure for the city and have a green code on the city's health tracking app.
Written by
Joe Myers, Writer, Formative Content
The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.
"When you talk about whether or not Omicron -- because it's a highly transmissible, but apparently not as pathogenic, for example, as Delta -- I would hope that that's the case," the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said Monday.
"But that would only be the case if we don't get another variant that eludes the immune response to the prior variant," Fauci told the Davos Agenda, a virtual event being held this week by the World Economic Forum.
"We were fortunate" that Omicron did not share some of the same characteristics as Delta, "but the sheer volume of people who are getting infected overrides that rather less level of pathogenicity," Fauci said.
"It is an open question as to whether or not Omicron is going to be the live virus vaccination that everyone is hoping for, because you have such a great deal of variability with new variants emerging," he said.
Schools grappling with Omicron surge
Several districts in the Northern Virginia and metro Richmond area announced they will reject the latest order set to begin January 24.
"Our layered prevention strategies have proven effective in keeping transmission rates low in our schools," said Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand in a letter to the school community.
"Universal mask use has proven effective in keeping Covid-19 transmission rates low in our schools and ensuring schools remain safe and open," a statement from Arlington Public Schools said about its decision.
In Texas, all schools and offices in the Houston Independent School District will be closed Tuesday due to rising cases in the community, the school district announced on its website. Classes are expected to resume Wednesday.
The school district encouraged students and staff to take "this extra day to mitigate potential exposure."
Progress on future vaccines moves forward
To further get ahead of variants, new vaccines are under development.
Moderna should have data available on its Omicron-specific Covid-19 vaccine in March, company CEO Stephane Bancel said Monday.
"It should be in the clinic in the coming weeks. And we're hoping in the March timeframe, we should be able to have data to share with regulators to figure out the next step forward," he said in a panel conversation at Davos.
A combined Covid-19 and flu booster shot from Moderna could also be available in some countries by fall 2023, Bancel said, but cautioned the date was a "best case scenario."
Vaccines doses remain the most effective way to ward off severe complications, which remain a factor in the nation's recovery as Americans continue to die from Covid-19. The average number of deaths has exceeded 1,600 daily over the last week, according to JHU data.
Booster doses have successfully demonstrated the ability to raise an individual's antibody levels months after initial inoculations, helping to keep those at higher risk out of the hospital.
In December, Israel started trialing a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccines for healthy participants ahead of a roll out of the additional booster shot to at-risk populations -- marking the first study of its kind among healthy people receiving a fourth dose.
"I think that the decision to allow the fourth vaccine to vulnerable populations is probably correct," Dr. Gili-Regev Yochay, director of Infection Prevention Control Unit at the Sheba Medical Center, said Monday of the data. "It may give a little bit of benefit, but probably not enough to support the decision to give it to all of the population, I would say."
DETROIT (WXYZ) A new study done by researchers in Israel shows that a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine could increase your antibodies to protect you from the virus.
I think this data is too preliminary to give us any direction on the fourth dose," said Dr. Teena Chopra, a professor of infectious diseases at Wayne State University.
Chopra is referring to researched released by Sheba Hospital in Israel.
What they found was that the antibody went up after the third shot, but whether they were effective against the omicron was really not seen," she said.
At the moment, a fourth shot is being administered in Israel, but not in the United States, where health leaders are still urging people to get their third shot.
Getting a booster shot protects us from getting severe disease and hospitalization," Chopra said.
As hospitals in our state see record-number COVID-19 patients, there is a push for Michiganders to get their hands on at-home COVID-19 testing kits to help stop the spread of the virus.
If you have it at your fingertips, it's a lot easier to do and stay quarantined and not infect other people and having to go to a site to get tested," Dr. Asha Shajahan said.
Shajahan, the medical director of community health at Beaumont Health Gross Pointe, says getting an accurate result with the at-home test is all about timing.
The best thing to do is if you were exposed to COVID or had symptoms to not test right away, wait until day three or five and test during that time because youre more likely to have an accurate test," she said.
Both doctors say testing and vaccines are tools that will help fight the virus.
If there is more distribution of the vaccine globally, we can see an end to this virus. When I say end, we want the virus to become and endemic, we dont want it to remain a pandemic," Chopra said.
For more information on where to get a vaccine or at-home test, visit michigan.gov/coronavirus/
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KXAN) Beginning Wednesday, the White House will distribute half a billion free, at-home COVID-19 rapid tests to American households amid the latest coronavirus surge. This comes as President Joe Bidens administration is purchasing one billion tests to increase national testing capacity.
Under the initial program, people can request four free tests be sent to their home address. Tests can be ordered online at covidtests.gov and will take between seven to 12 days to ship after an order is placed.
Based on that shipment time frame, Americans will need to place order requests prior to an onset of symptoms. Common COVID-19 symptoms include:
Under the omicron variant, mild cases have reported cold-like symptoms that include a headache, chest or back pain and a dry cough or scratchy throat.
Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends individuals test if they develop COVID-19 symptoms or have come into close contact with a positive case within the past five days. Similarly, testing is recommended for people gathering indoors with individuals who are either high risk or unvaccinated, per a White House press release.
To ensure equity and access for all Americans, the Administration will also launch a call line to help those unable to access the website to place orders, and work with national and local community-based organizations to support the nations hardest-hit and highest-risk communities in requesting tests, the release read in part.
This follows the Biden administrations earlier announcement that private health insurance companies will be required to cover at-home COVID-19 tests for free, as of Jan. 15.
by: Gayle Ong, Nexstar Media Wire
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) Theres growing talk in the medical community that the COVID-19 pandemic may soon be entering the endemic phase.
What an endemic phase of a viral infections means is that its not causing the terrible hospitalizations of the pandemic phase but that well have enough immunity of a population so its kept down to low levels, said Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease doctor at the University of California, San Francisco.
California Gov. Gavin Newsoms administration is predicting that it will happen in a month.
This is a challenging period, Newsom said during a recent news conference. Were going to get through this. Just a few more weeks.
However, experts have warned that the unpredictability of the variant makes setting a timeline difficult.
Were still a way off from COVID-19 reaching endemicity, Dr. Catherine Smallwood, a senior emergency officer and COVID-19 incident manager at the WHOs Health Emergencies Programme, said during a virtual Europe news conference last week.
Exhausted after two years of the pandemic, many are wondering what exactly life will look like when we officially reach endemicity.
We will likely not be masking, distancing, contact tracing, doing asymptomatic testing, Dr. Gandhi said.
Well manage it more like influenza, which is vaccines, treatment and recommending masks for the vulnerable inside, Dr. Gandhi said.
Dr. Gandhi says the highly transmissible omicron variant could drive the pandemic into endemicity.
Theres [an] incredible number of cases in both vaccinated and unvaccinated. What that does is it exposes you to the entire virus and you develop antibodies, T cells and B cells across the entire virus, Dr. Gandhi said.
Infectious disease doctors are monitoring the omicron surge around the world. Data from samples of wastewater indicates omicron is declining.
In Boston, the wastewater is showing 40 percent decrease in COVID, we have all turned a corner in California with wastewater COVID amounts which means the amount of COVID is going down, Dr. Gandhi said. That will be reflected in our cases going down in a couple of days. Usually, wastewater surveillance goes first then when it comes down it will come down quickly.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) The Ohio Department of Health has released the latest numbers related to the coronavirus pandemic in the state.
Numbers as of Monday, Jan. 17 follow:
The 21-day case average is above22,000.
The department reported2,563people started the vaccination process, bringing the total to7,108,819, which is 60.82% of the states population. And10,173received booster shots.
The Ohio Hospital Association reported the following numbers related to COVID-19 patients:
The White House announced the federal website torequest free COVID-19 testsWednesday. Scientists warn that omicrons whirlwind advance practically ensures it wont be thelast version of the coronavirus. COVID vaccinations may temporarily lengthen a womans menstrual cycle, a new study reveals.
