Wallace is an epidemiologist.
The largest COVID-19 safety study to date was published online earlier this month in the journal Vaccine. The study, which was spearheaded by the Global Vaccine Data Network and funded by the CDC, included data on over 99 million vaccinated individuals across 10 sites in eight countries.
Sensational headlines immediately began cropping up across news sites:
At first glance, these stories appear to be reporting something new and different about the COVID vaccines. But when we step back, we realize this information is not new at all. The study is simply confirming what we've known for years now: there is a small risk of adverse events from the COVID vaccines but the benefits still far outweigh any risks.
Monitoring the Safety of the COVID-19 Vaccines
The COVID-19 vaccines were introduced globally in 2020, accompanied by the most intensive vaccine safety monitoring program the world has ever seen. After 3 years of administration, data show that for the vast majority of the 13.6 billion doses administered globally, recipients experienced either no vaccine reactions or reactions that were mild and self-limiting (fever, chills, tiredness, headache, etc.).
Anytime a medicine or a vaccine is approved and introduced into wider use, rare adverse events are found in the population that would be impossible to find in clinical trials. The U.S. government constantly monitors different databases like the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) for rare adverse events and potential safety signals that may arise, and then analyzes whether the number of events among vaccinated individuals is greater than what would be seen normally in the population. While some rare side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to occur more frequently than in the background rate of the population, the number of these events represents a tiny percentage of the billions of people overall who received the vaccines.
Before this new study was published, healthcare professionals like yourself and the public were already aware of safety signals of a few very rare adverse events detected in databases (i.e. rare allergic reactions, myocarditis and pericarditis mostly detected in young men after mRNA and Novavax vaccines, or rare but serious cases of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome [TTS] after the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines). Even though TTS cases linked to the J&J vaccine were extremely rare, use of this product was quickly paused and eventually deprioritized as a result, proof that the safety surveillance system is very sensitive to detect the rarest events, and that the system does work to make vaccines safer.
Digging Deeper Into the Vaccine Safety Study
The purpose of the study was to get more precise estimates of the risk of adverse events following COVID-19 across several countries. Three vaccines were examined in the study: two were mRNA vaccines (Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna) and the other was AstraZeneca's viral vector vaccine, which was never authorized in the U.S. but is the same vaccine type as the J&J shot.
It is important to note that the results of this study are not odds ratios or relative risks (which would be comparing vaccinated to unvaccinated people), but instead the study methodology examined the observed versus expected (OE) ratios: observed post-vaccination rates from a pre-specified list of adverse events to the expected rates, or the historical, background rate of the same events calculated from the same populations during 2015-2019, before the vaccines were available. Any event where the lowest end of the observed rate range was estimated to be at least more than 1.5 times the expected/background rate (using the lower bound of the confidence interval) was flagged as a potential safety signal. Because there is no direct comparison, studies like these are not used for causality assessment, but only for detecting potential safety signals.
So, what did the study find?
Despite headlines that may have suggested there was some kind of bombshell finding in this study, the main, statistically significant findings from this study really only served to confirm safety signals that already had been found in other databases around the world. The following are the events that were identified as safety signals:
All of the other findings of lower magnitude from the study were deemed to be "hypothesis generating" and should be followed-up on with more rigorous designs.
This was the conclusion from the authors: "This multi-country analysis confirmed pre-established safety signals for myocarditis, pericarditis, Guillain-Barr syndrome, and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. Other potential safety signals that require further investigation were identified."
Don't Let the Headlines Halt Prevention Efforts
The bottom line is that no medication or vaccine is 100% effective or 100% safe, and everything has risks and benefits. But any risks from medications and vaccines need to be balanced against the risks of the disease you are trying to prevent. For example, the risk of myocarditis/pericarditis from COVID-19 is six to 11 times higher and is associated with a more severe clinical presentation than the risk from the COVID-19 vaccine.
COVID-19 has killed over a million people in the U.S. and has led to permanent disability in many others. The vaccines are very safe overall, and the benefit of the vaccine still definitely outweighs the risks. Fear mongering headlines serve only to harm, not help, public health.
Katrine Wallace, PhD, is an epidemiologist and adjunct assistant professor in the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics & Division of Community Health Sciences in the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Older adults in the U.S. should get another COVID-19 booster even if they received one in the fall, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The guidance was released on Wednesday from Mandy Cohen, CDC director, and the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
The agency recommended that adults ages 65 years and older receive "an additional updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine dose" due to an "increased risk of severe disease from COVID-19 in older adults," as stated in the announcement.
LONG COVID IMPACTS 10% OF PREGNANT WOMEN, STUDY FINDS: TAKE PRECAUTIONS
Those who are immunocompromised are also eligible for an additional booster, as announced in October 2023.
"Todays recommendation allows older adults to receive an additional dose of this seasons COVID-19 vaccine to provide added protection," said Cohen in a press release.
Older adults in the U.S. should get another COVID-19 booster shot even if they received one in the fall, according to guidance from the CDC. (iStock)
"Most COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations last year were among people 65 years and older," she added.
"An additional vaccine dose can provide added protection that may have decreased over time for those at highest risk."
LARGEST-EVER COVID VACCINE STUDY LINKS SHOT TO SMALL INCREASE IN HEART AND BRAIN CONDITIONS
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, said the decision about whether to get an additional dose depends on the patient and the prevalence of the virus.
"I am certainly keeping an eye on my older patients in high-risk groups, especially those with chronic illnesses like diabetes, cancer, COPD and obesity but this is not one size fits all," he told Fox News Digital.
"Most COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations last year were among people 65 years and older," said the CDC director in a statement. (iStock)
"The vaccine is a useful tool and it appears to be effective against the prevailing strains," he added.
"I would not be giving it routinely to all unless new evidence emerges that it is wearing off."
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
Dr. Jacob Glanville, a virology expert and founder of Centivax, a San Francisco pharmaceutical company, said the CDCs advice is based on the much higher risk of death by COVID-19 in this age category, combined with the relatively low 51% efficacy of the vaccines against current mismatched circulating strains.
As of Feb. 23, the share of adults 65 and over that have received the updated COVID vaccine was 41.8%, according to CDC data. (iStock)
"A boost can serve to increase the proportion of antibodies and T-cells that can still respond to a mismatch strain, and thus provide additional protection," Glanville told Fox News Digital.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
As of Feb. 23, the share of adults 65 and over that have received the updated COVID vaccine was 41.8%, according to CDC data.
The compliance rate was 22.3% for adults 18 and over and 13.1% for children.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.
The page you requested was not found. You may have followed an old link or typed the address incorrectly.
We've also been doing some house cleaning so the page may have been moved or removed.
Please try searching for what you are looking for or you could go to the home page and start from there. Or you may be interested in today's top stories.
Loading Video
This browser does not support the Video element.
Doctors say some vaccinated adults may not have measles protection, as what they previously got might have worn off.
TAMPA, Fla. - If you thought you were vaccinated for measles, you may want to double-check.
Doctors say the shot some people got who were born in the 70s and the 80s actually wore off after about 20 years, putting them at risk of contracting the virus.
Loading Video
This browser does not support the Video element.
Unless you work in the healthcare field or attended college in the 90s where it was required, you may not have been informed about. It's not clear how many people may fall in the category, but USF College of Public Health Associate Professor Jill Roberts is one of them and says if you are in the category and want to be protected now, you should get re-vaccinated especially with the outbreak continuing to spread.
READ: Florida's 9th case of measles confirmed in Polk County: Health officials
As measles cases reach the double digits in Florida, doctors are reminding adults who were vaccinated as kids to make sure their shot is still effective.
"There are people who are vaccinated with the previous version who may actually have the immunity waning," Dr. Roberts said.
That's because some babies born in the 1970s and 1980s received a single shot that was made differently and only protected against measles. As opposed to the current MMR vaccine which USF Professor Dr. Jill Roberts says started being widely available in the 1980s and protects against measles, mumps and rubella.
"What we found is there's this age group that actually was between the two vaccines and sometimes those people either were missing one dose or they got a dose of one and then the dose of the other, and they're just not covered quite with the highest amount of immunity," Dr. Roberts said.
Dr. Roberts was actually one of them but didn't learn about it until years later, when she enrolled in college.
"We started seeing some measles outbreaks so universities were one of the first to say, all right, if we have people coming in, and they're around this particular age, they've got to have another MMR vaccine before we'll actually let them in," Dr. Roberts said.
As Roberts explains, if you weren't at a college that required it or don't work in the medical field with patients you may have never been informed. It's why she says if you think you may be in that group and want to be protected, take action now.
READ: British mom who lost 6-year-old son urges vaccinations as measles outbreak spreads to Tampa Bay Area
"Check in with your health care provider and see whether they have records. We always know records come, records go. We change providers. There's absolutely no risk in getting another MMR so if you don't know, just go get another shot. They're inexpensive and widely available," Roberts shared.
Roberts says this mainly effects people who are now in their 40s and 50s. Like we've mentioned, measles is extremely contagious. If you're unvaccinated and exposed to the virus, you have about a 90 percent chance of getting the virus.
SIGN UP: Click here to sign up for the FOX 13 daily newsletter
oklahoman.com wants to ensure the best experience for all of our readers, so we built our site to take advantage of the latest technology, making it faster and easier to use.
Unfortunately, your browser is not supported. Please download one of these browsers for the best experience on oklahoman.com
Mr Gates said he would like to see an increase in the duration of protection afforded by vaccines.
As one of the world's richest men who has worked at the intersection of technology and philanthropy, Bill Gates possesses a unique worldview that he brings to bear on trying to solve some of the world's most pressing problems.
In an exclusive interview with NDTV on Thursday, the founder of Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation spoke on a wide range of issues, from India's leadership in digital infrastructure and the country's "brilliant work" in the field of vaccines to artificial intelligence and the cup of tea he had in Hyderabad, which was prepared by social media sensation Dolly Chaiwala.
On India's digital economy and its contribution to the country's growth story, Mr Gates said transferring government payments directly to bank accounts is a big step as beneficiaries get money directly, without intermediaries taking any of it away. It has also brought significant savings for the government, which can be used in other areas.
"For example, I saw in Odisha where they (the government) had registered the farmers and they understood their land and their crops. So they are sending them a regular bulletin and they are communicating about what (farmers) need to do. So this is a case where India has been out in the lead, you know, India did this thing at scale. They made it work," the Microsoft founder said.
"So, right now, there are 15 other countries at various stages of adoption. A lot of that was kicked off by the way Prime Minister Narendra Modi made that a centrepiece of the G20 meeting," he added.
Increasing Vaccine Duration
Emphasising that the Gates Foundation is the "biggest supporter" of the Indian vaccine industry, Mr Gates said the country's companies played a key role in developing vaccines during the pandemic.
"All of them put their brilliant work into trying to help out with Covid and the majority of vaccines got made here in India. We have a lot of new things we want in vaccines, we want (vaccines for) tuberculosis, HIV. We are working with these companies to help them adopt mRNA, which is a technology that we think will be very useful. And so the fact that they are very high quality (and) when they get volume, they are very low cost, they are a treasure to the world," the technologist said.
Mr Gates said he would like to see the duration of protection afforded by vaccines, including the one for Covid, to increase so that the same features can be used for other diseases.
"We also need those same features, particularly duration, to use it for measles, tuberculosis and HIV. And a lot of this mRNA work is going for cancer vaccines... so the technology has a lot of promise. If we ever have a future pandemic, the ability to adapt is much more rapid," he asserted.
Job Loss Fears?
To a question on fears of job loss because of the quantum leap in artificial intelligence, the Microsoft founder said the world is not going to see an excess of labour anytime soon and increasing productivity could lead to a broader group being able to access things like their children getting individual tutoring, which is only affordable to a select few now.
"The world has more jobs today than it had 100 years ago, when you had to toil in a backbreaking way just to barely get enough to eat. 80% of people were farmers... So the advances have made our lives a lot richer. We have reduced the work week, but that hasn't been the primary thing. Primarily, the food we are offered, the entertainment... you know, it is just way richer than what our previous generations could even dream up," he said.
On sentience and whether the world is getting to a stage when AI systems are essentially acting as human beings, Mr Gates said significant strides have been made in the sector, especially in the past two years, but machines have a different approach from humans.
"Computers have always been superhuman at things like calculations, and we have reached milestones like when a computer was the best at chess, or when the computer was the best at Go (a board game). Now, if you had a contest to write poems or composes songs, the computer would be (at), you know, 99% of humans. And so that threshold of where it adds value and what it can do keeps going up," he said.
"And that can be a good thing. It is clearly different than we are, it makes different mistakes than we tend to make," he pointed out.
Anaemia Breakthrough
On India's disease burden, the philanthropist said anaemia and malnutrition are two of the Gates Foundation's top priorities for the world and the country is also facing a challenge in that area. He added, however, that India is also prioritising these issues and there have been some breakthroughs.
"For anaemia, we have always known that a woman would come in a lot of times during pregnancy and get an infusion. We could help get rid of that anaemia, but it is too expensive and too complex. The recent breakthrough is that there's a formulation that a woman could come in only one time, and then we are using AI to help place the needle," he said.
Striking an optimistic note, Mr Gates said, "We are working with Indian partners to get the price of that one infusion down below $10 (approximately 800 rupees). And it appears the benefit to the mother... her mental state is dramatically better. And the brain development of the baby is also quite a bit better. Anaemia has to be reduced dramatically and this has great promise."
Climate Crisis
Mr Gates said he is involved in both mitigation of the climate crisis as well as helping countries adapt, the latter of which is done by the Gates Foundation. Mitigation, he said, is done through things like coming up with new crops that can withstand higher temperatures and droughts.
Pointing to the outsized role of developed countries in climate change, he said, "India is a very climate-affected country. It is kind of funny, in a way... the temperate zone countries that are the most responsible for the problem are not the most affected, because the absolute temperatures are not so high. And, you know, we have air conditioners, in our cars and in our homes, so we are somewhat already adapted."
He pointed out that good practices are being adopted in other countries, including India, that are showing that preparedness can make regions resilient to the effects of climate change.
'Fantastic Chai'
On a lighter note, Mr Gates was also asked about the tea he had, made by Dolly Chaiwala, and how it tasted.
"Well, I don't consider myself the best judge of it, but it was fantastic. It was a beautiful view of Hyderabad in the morning and they told me they had brought a great teawallah guy in, and he was very photogenic, so that was fun," the billionaire said.
Older adults should get the COVID-19 vaccine more frequently than previously recommended, according to new guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Health officials are urging people ages 65 and older to receive another vaccine dose in the spring, or at least four months after their most recent dose.
CDC director Dr. Mandy Cohen announced the decision after a CDC advisory committee, which is made up of independent vaccine and infectious disease experts, voted 11-1 to make the change. An additional vaccine dose can provide added protection that may have decreased over time for those at highest risk, she said in a statement.
The decision is based on data presented by CDC scientists that showed current hospitalization rates for COVID-19 are highest among seniors, with the biggest spikes occurring among those 75 years and older. People 65 and older account for 67% of hospitalizations due to COVID-19. (The CDC previously recommended that most people get a COVID-19 vaccine once a year. )
The committee reviewed new data showing that the current COVID-19 shot is effective against currently circulating variants including JN.1 , even though it targets XBB. People who were vaccinated with the latest shot made fewer trips to urgent care and emergency rooms for COVID-19-related symptoms, and were less likely to be hospitalized than those who did not receive the shot. But vaccine protection wanes over time, so getting another dose will help prevent serious outcomes in the most vulnerable.
Read More: Why It's So Hard to Get Kids Vaccinated Against COVID-19
I was convinced by the data that there is significant protection with an additional dose at this time, says Dr. Wilbur Chen, professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and a member of the committee. This recommendation isnt for the entire population, but for high-risk segments of the population. We are trying to improve their protection as much as possible and wanted to afford those over 65 years the opportunity to get a second dose.
One challenge to achieving that, however, is that uptake of the newest COVID-19 vaccine has been low. Though about 40% of seniors have gotten it so farthe highest rate out of any age groupit still means more than half of a very vulnerable group are not up to date. The low demand is fueling decreased access, says Chen, since more doctors offices are deciding not to provide the shot because their patients arent asking for it. Now that the government is no longer providing the vaccines for free, many people who are under- or uninsured are not getting immunized.
Chen says the committee members hope that older adults and health care providers alike receive the strong message behind the recommendation and take it seriously. As we enter the warmer months, while we usually see flu and RSV disappear, in previous summers we still saw 500 deaths a month, he says. Thats a lot of deaths, and we need to act on that.
CLEVELAND, Ohio Americans age 65 and older are recommended to get an additional dose of the current one-shot COVID-19 vaccine, the U.S. Centers for Disease and Prevention said this week in updating its vaccine guidelines for the first time since the fall.
Older adults are at increased risk of severe disease from COVID-19, with more than half of COVID-19 hospitalizations from October to December 2023 occurring in adults 65 and older, the CDC said in making the announcement late Wednesday.
The one-shot COVID-19 vaccine became available last fall, and was recommended for everyone age 5 and up to protect against serious illness from COVID-19.
There was no change in the recommendations this week for those under the age of 65, who are still considered up to date if they have received the latest vaccine.
The recommendation, made by the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization and endorsed by CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen, is in part in response to trying to restore protection that may have waned among the most vulnerable.
Most COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations last year were among people 65 years and older, Cohen said in a statement. An additional vaccine dose can provide added protection that may have decreased over time for those at highest risk.
This recommendation is in line with prior recommendations, which allow people who are immunocompromised to receive an additional booster dose of this seasons vaccine, Dr. Kenneth Koncilja, a geriatric specialist with the Cleveland Clinics Center for Geriatric Medicine, said Thursday.
Older adults are still the overwhelming majority of hospitalizations and deaths in Northeast Ohio from COVID-19, Koncilja said.
Older adults and immunocompromised persons typically have less of a response to vaccinations in general, and their immune system is not as resilient as that of healthier or younger people, Koncilja said.
People over 65 remain at risk of infection, severe infection, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19, said Dr. Amy Ray, vice president of infection prevention and hospital epidemiology at MetroHealth System.
Even mild COVID-19 infection can exacerbate chronic underlying health conditions and result in hospitalization in this population, Ray said. The additional dose is an important part of health maintenance for the older population.
The COVID-19 pandemic is still with us, and vaccination is still important, health experts say.
COVID-19 is actively circulating at a higher rate than influenza or respiratory syncytial virus, Koncilja said. By vaccinating everyone, we reduce spread, severity, and duration of COVID-19, he said.
The additional dose should be given at least four months after a previous dose for healthy older adults, or at least three months after a coronavirus infection, according to the Washington Posts reporting of the discussion. Its unclear whether those getting a second shot now will also need another shot for the 2024-25 fall and winter season.
A CDC recommendation means that health insurance will cover the cost of the second shot for those eligible, the newspaper reported. There may be a new vaccine approved for the 2024-25 winter season, the Washington Post noted. In that case, it would not be optimal for people to get a second dose of a current vaccine later than June.
The CDC continues to recommend that everyone stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines, especially people with weakened immune systems.
Most adults under 65 who received the single-dose COVID-19 vaccine in the fall are not recommended for a second dose, the Clinics Koncilja said. They have residual immunity from either prior infection or prior vaccination, he said.
Unvaccinated people age 6 months and older may still receive the COVID-19 2023-24 dose, MetroHealths Ray said.
Allowing a second dose may decrease public confidence in the benefits of a single dose of an updated vaccine, the Washington Post reported. It could also increase vaccine fatigue and reduce uptake of the vaccine in the fall.
Despite the introduction of the updated vaccine in the fall, use has been low. About 1.3 million Ohioans have received the updated one-dose COVID-19 vaccine, representing 11.1% of the states population.
In Ohio, residents ages 70-74 have the highest percentage of any age group when it comes to getting the current COVID-19 vaccine, according to state data. About 36.3% of Ohioans ages 70-74 have the vaccine, while 28.0% of those 65-69 and 40.8% of those 75-79 have received the shot.
In the United States, 23% of Medicare beneficiaries ages 65 and up have the current one-shot vaccine, according to the CDC.
Separately, the CDCs instructions to people with COVID-19 also are expected to change soon. New guidance is likely coming that will drop the five-day COVID-19 isolation guidelines, according to previous reports in February.
Under the new guidance, people with mild COVID-19 could stop isolating if they havent had a fever for at least 24 hours without medication, and their symptoms are improving.
It would be the first loosening of the isolation recommendations since 2021. The new guidance would align with how people are told to avoid transmitting flu and other respiratory viruses.
The move is under consideration because most Americans have some immunity to the virus because of prior infection or vaccination. The CDC is shifting to a more practical approach, experts and health officials say.
Julie Washington covers healthcare for cleveland.com. Read previous stories at this link.
Gritstone Bio is laying off 40% of employees after delaying the start of a phase 2 trial testing its COVID-19 vaccine, which in turn pushed back the receipt of federal funds.
The layoffs announced after-market on Thursday are the latest consequence of a manufacturing delay that was revealedearlier in February. The phase 2b CORAL trial, originally slated to launch in the first quarter, was pushed to the fall to allow use of fully GMP-grade raw materials. But Gritstone now says that delaying the trial resulted in some external funding falling through.
The lack of near-term funding necessitated this difficult step to fortify our balance sheet and cash position, which unfortunately means an impact to our workforce, CEO Andrew Allen, M.D., Ph.D., said in a release. The funding referenced is the first tranche of funds from the federal government announced late last year.
The company did not say how much was expected in this first tranche of payments from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. But the contract is worth up to $433 million through Project NextGen, which is funding a number of companies efforts to create new strategies to fight COVID-19. Gritstone is conducting a 10,000-person U.S.-based phase 2 study for its self-amplifying mRNA (samRNA) vaccine candidate. The study was expected to get off the ground in the first quarter.
Gritstones other priorities, including the phase 2 portion of a phase 2/3 study of a personalized cancer vaccine, remain unchanged, according to the release. Data are expected from that program later this quarter, Allen said.
A new interim estimate of vaccine effectiveness (VE) of the monovalent (single-strain) XBB.1.5 COVID-19 vaccine shows the shot was 51% effective in preventing emergency department and urgent care visits among adults without compromised immune systems.
The study was published today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Compared to adults who did not receive the monovalent XBB.1.5 COVID-19 vaccine, recipients were most protected in the first 7 to 59 days after vaccination, with VE dropping slightly 60 to 119 days after an updated dose.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended the updated 2023-24 XBB.1.5 vaccination for all people ages 6 months and older to prevent COVID-19.
"Although 1 updated vaccine dose is recommended for most persons aged 5 years, vaccination coverage with updated vaccines has remained low," the authors explained. "Thousands of persons in the United States continue to be hospitalized with COVID-19 each week."
Thousands of persons in the United States continue to be hospitalized with COVID-19 each week.
To estimate VE, the authors used outcomes seen in two electronic health networks that cover multiple states. In the first network, the VISIONS network, 395 (9%) case-patients and 4,199 (13%) control patients had received an updated COVID-19 vaccine dose.
In both networks combined, VE against COVID-19associated emergency department or urgent care visits among all adults was 51% (95% confidence interval [CI], 47% to 54%) during the first 7 to 59 days after an updated dose and 39% (95% CI, 33% to 45%) 60 to 119 days after vaccination. VE against COVID-19associated hospitalization was 52% (95% CI, 47% to 57%) and 43% (95% CI, 27% to 56%), respectively.
For all adults in the VISION network, VE against COVID-19associated hospitalization was 53% (95% CI, 46% to 59%) in the first 7 to 59 days and 50% (95% CI, 40% to 59%) 60 to 119 days after an updated dose. Among adults 65 years and older, VE was 54% in the first 7 to 59 days, and 50% in days 60 to 119.
In the second network, IVY, VE of an updated dose against COVID-19associated hospitalization was 43% (95% CI, 27% to 56%) among adults aged 18 years and older and 48% (95% CI, 31% to 61%) among adults age 65 years and older.
"Despite different populations, methods, and outcomes, estimates of the effectiveness of updated COVID-19 vaccines were aligned across the VISION and IVY analyses," the authors wrote. "Continued monitoring of the effectiveness of updated COVID-19 vaccines for expected waning against hospitalization and to determine the durability of VE against critical illness is needed."
In related news, in a research letter published in JAMA earlier this week, a nationwide cohort study of more than 1 million Danish adults aged 65 years and older showed no increased risk of 28 adverse events following vaccination with the monovalent XBB.1.5-containing COVID vaccine.
In Denmark, the XBB.1.5-containing vaccines were recommended as a fifth COVID-19 vaccine dose to people aged 65 years and older, with vaccination beginning October 1, 2023.
Using a nationwide database of 1,076,531 people (mean age, 74.7 years; 53.8% female), of whom 902,803 received an XBB.1.5 vaccine as a fifth dose, the authors found no significant association between the vaccine and adverse events.
The incidence ratio was 0.96 (95% CI, 0.87 to 1.07)) for an ischemic cardiac event, 0.87 (95% CI, 0.79 to 0.96) for a cerebral infarction, and 0.60 (95% CI, 0.14 to 2.66) for myocarditis.
