Category: Corona Virus Vaccine

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mRNA Vaccines: What to Know - IDSA

[Originally published: Oct. 2, 2023. Updated: Feb. 29, 2024.]

Note: Information in this article was accurate at the time of original publication. Because information about COVID-19 changes rapidly, we encourage you to visit the websites of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and your state and local government for the latest information.

There has been better protection against severe disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 since newly updated (20232024 formula) mRNA COVID vaccines became available last fall. Shots are available to protect everyone 6 months and older from serious illness, hospitalization, and death from the disease.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved the updated vaccines by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna for everyone 6 months and older, and authorized an updated Novavax vaccine for those 12 and older in the fall of 2023. In February of this year, the CDC recommended an additional dose for adults ages 65 and older.

The vaccines target XBB.1.5, a subvariant of Omicron that dominated the United Statesand the worldfrom November 2021 until last year. The CDC says the updated vaccines should also work against currently circulating variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virusmany of which descended from, or are related to, the XBB strain. The vaccine is also expected to protect against JN.1, the current dominant strain in the U.S.

While COVID-19 has been causing mostly mild illness recently, Yale Medicine infectious diseases specialist Onyema Ogbuagu, MBBCh, reminds people that the disease can still lead to hospitalization and death. Infections can have long-term consequences, Dr. Ogbuagu says, adding that even healthy people can develop Long COVIDa condition in which new, continuing, or recurring (and sometimes debilitating) symptoms are present four or more weeks after an initial coronavirus infection.

Below, Yale experts tell you what you need to know about the updated COVID vaccine.

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The Updated COVID Vaccines Are Here: 9 Things to Know - Yale Medicine

Newswise Four years ago, a brand new virus turned the world upside down.

Today, thanks to researchers, medical and public health experts, pharmaceutical companies, engineers and others, we know more and can do more about the coronavirus called SARS-CoV2, and the disease called COVID-19, than ever before.

Were in a much better place than we were just a year or two ago, saidAdam Lauring, M.D.,Ph.D., an infectious disease doctor and virus expert at MIchigan Medicine, the University of Michigans academic medical center. While the virus continues to challenge us with its evolution, we have vaccines that work and a surveillance system that provides data to inform what might be annual updates moving forward. We still have some work to do to improve vaccine coverage, especially in the most vulnerable populations.

The virus can still cause serious problems in the short and long term, saidPreeti Malani, M.D., a U-M infectious disease doctor with special training in the care of older adults. So its still important to take steps to avoid infection and avoid passing the virus to others if you catch it.

Heres a summary of the latest things to know and do:

Because early symptoms of COVID-19, flu and RSV are similar,checking this mapcan tell you about current levels of all respiratory illness in your state.

In addition to seeking a prescription from your usual health care provider or aTest to Treat site, you can use theHome Test to Treat serviceto see a provider and get a prescription or referral virtually.

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Four years later, what do we know about COVID-19? - Newswise

A 62-year-old German man made himself a human guinea pig during the coronavirus pandemic and got 217 shots of the vaccine in less than three years.

The hypervaccinated man did not suffer any adverse events to his health despite going on the vaccination spree from June 2021 to November 2023, a correspondence published by The Lancet notes.

Saying that he deliberately and for private reasons embarked on the mission to get an average of one shot every four days, the paper adds that the excess vaccinations also did not result in either a strong positive or negative effect on the intrinsic quality of adaptive immune responses.

There was no evidence the man had ever been infected with COVID-19, though experts said there is also nothing to suggest that was a result of his extreme number of shots.

His frequent visits to vaccination centers ultimately led a public prosecutor to investigate him for fraud, but he was never charged.

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German Man Got 217 COVID Shots for Some Reason - The Daily Beast

Among people who had COVID-19, those who had received the latest vaccine had a lower risk of having a severe outcome than those who had not, according to new Cleveland Clinic research published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Coupled with antiviral treatments such as nirmatrelvir and molnupiravir, updated versions of Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech and Novavax COVID-19 vaccines significantly lowered the likelihood of hospitalization and death from currently circulating COVID-19 variants.

The study included more than 27,000 patients age 12 and older who tested positive for COVID-19 between September and December 2023. The researchers found that the updated vaccines and antiviral drugs reduced the risk of severe COVID-19 by 31% and 42% respectively, particularly in older individuals and those who are immunocompromised. Furthermore, the study observed consistent efficacy across various subvariants of SARS-CoV-2.

Although the research had some limitations, the results underscore the potential significance of XBB.1.5 vaccines and antivirals treatments as vital tools in combating the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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Study: Vaccinated people had lower risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes - Medical Xpress

The researchers from Friedrich-Alexander-Universitt Erlangen-Nrnberg (FAU) and Universittsklinikum Erlangen published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases study highlights the effects of hypervaccination on the immune system.

The man who received these vaccines for private reasons was noticed through newspaper reports and voluntarily underwent extensive testing to examine the effect of all the vaccines.

Despite initial concerns that his immune system would become less effective due to overexposure to antigens, the study revealed the opposite.

Contrary to what people may have thought, the mans immune system appeared fully functional, with certain immune cells and antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 found in significantly higher concentrations than in individuals who had received only three vaccinations.

This study challenges the idea that repeated exposure to antigens could weaken the immune response. Dr Kilian Schober, from the Institute of Microbiology at FAU, explained that the study involved analysing tests during the study period.

The results showed many T-effector cells, which play a crucial role in fighting the virus, suggesting that the mans immune system remained strong and responsive.

The study found no fatigue in these effector cells, indicating they were just as effective as in individuals who had received the normal number of vaccinations.

Memory T cells, which are key in replenishing effector cells, were also productive, further strengthening the immune response.

The 217th vaccination that the man received during the study produced a significant increase in antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, highlighting the continued effectiveness of the vaccine despite the mans extensive vaccination history.

The person also examined the immune system response to other pathogens and found no noticeable change in effectiveness, suggesting that hypervaccination did not compromise overall immune function.

Dr. Schober emphasised that while the findings are encouraging, they are based on a single case and do not authenticate conclusions or recommendations. Current research supports the standard vaccination protocol, with three doses recommended for most individuals and additional booster shots for vulnerable groups.

The studys findings highlight the resilience of the immune system and the potential for vaccines to provide robust and long-lasting protection against COVID-19.

In conclusion, while the case of the man who received over 200 COVID vaccinations may be unique, it offers valuable insights into the complexities of the immune response.

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Hypervaccination: What would 217 COVID-19 vaccines do to your immune system? - Open Access Government

CARB-X today announced funding for its 100th project addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

The $1.06 million award will help the Hemholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), of Saarbrucken, Germany, develop a new class of small-molecule inhibitors of bacterial sliding clamp, a pivotal component of DNA replication machinery that has not previously been targeted. The novel compounds have shown promising antibacterial activity against several pathogens that cause community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP).

Lower respiratory tract infections, including CABP, are estimated to have killed 2.6 million people globally in 2019, more than 400,000 of whom died from infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

"With this 100thproject, we are doubling-down on our support of novel approaches to deliver antibiotics that clinicians and patients need," CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator) R&D chief Erin Duffy, PhD, said in a press release. "If successful, the HIPS project will offer a workhorse antibiotic for community-acquired infections that will also take the pressure off antibiotics in the [World Health Organization] model list of essential medicines."

Since its founding in 2016, CARB-X has played a critical role in efforts to boost the pipeline for new antibacterials and other products targeting drug-resistant bacteria, awarding $452.6 million for early-stage development of vaccines, diagnostic, antibiotics, and other therapies. Eighteen of its 100 projects have made it into first-in-human trials, 12 remain in clinical development, and 2 diagnostics have reached the market.

"When CARB-X started in 2016, the antibacterial pre-clinical pipeline looked promising but vulnerable," said CARB-X Executive Director Kevin Outterson, JD. "Even the teams with the most impactful ideas lacked the capital and support needed to advance their R&D products towards patients. CARB-X stood in the gap, and, eight years later, we have clear proof that our model is working."

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Case report: 217 COVID vaccine doses haven't harmed man's immune system - University of Minnesota Twin Cities

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A new randomized control trial from the United Kingdom shows that using ivermectin during COVID-19 infections provided little improvement in recovery rates in patients treated in clinics. The study appeared in the Journal of Infection.

The anti-parasitic drug has been investigated since 2020 as a potential treatment for COVID-19. Some early trials suggested the drug was able to reduce mortality rates and improve outcomes, but several of them had serious flaws, the authors noted. Subsequent trials and systematic reviews have largely disproved those earlier results.

The present, open-arm study compared outcomes among 8,811 SARS-CoV-2positive participants (median symptom duration, 5 days), who were randomized to outpatient treatment with ivermectin (2,157), standard care (3,256), and other treatments (3,398) from June 23, 2021, to July 1, 2022. All participants were followed up for 28 days.

The observed median time to first recovery was 14 days in the ivermectin group and 15 in the usual-care group. The authors said this result was statistically significant (hazard ratio 1.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07 to 1.23), but the estimated hazard ratio was less than the pre-specified meaningful effect of 1.2.

Ivermectin also did not reduce the number of hospitalizations. Use of the drug, however, was associated with a slight increase in the proportion of participants feeling fully recovered at 3, 6 and 12 months. At 6 months, 74% of respondents in the ivermectin group and 71% in the usual care group reported feeling fully recovered from the original COVID-19 illness (rate ratio 1.05; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.08).

Overall, these findings, while evidencing a small benefit in symptom duration, do not support the use of ivermectin as treatment for COVID-19.

"Overall, these findings, while evidencing a small benefit in symptom duration, do not support the use of ivermectin as treatment for COVID-19 in the community among a largely vaccinated population at the dose and duration we used," the authors wrote.

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Yet another study shows little benefit for ivermectin with COVID-19 - University of Minnesota Twin Cities

perfectly healthy and were able to verify that he had received at least 130 vaccines. getty

Scientists have studied the immune system of a man in Germany who claims to have received 217 Covid-19 vaccines.

The researchers were concerned that the man's immune system might have become exhausted with such frequent and numerous challenges with vaccines against the same virus, but they actually found the opposite.

Their analysis published in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases found that not only did the man, 62, have a fully functional immune system, there were indicators that his immunity against the virus that causes Covid-19 was better than people who had just received a normal number of vaccines.

There is official evidence of the man having 134 Covid-19 vaccines of eight different types including mRNA vaccines over a nine-month period, although the man claims the amount to be 217 in total over 29 months.

It is not known why he chose to have so many vaccines. As of the last update in May 2023, the CDC Covid-19 vaccination dashboard indicated that 69.5% of Americans had completed at least the primary two-dose vaccination series. Since it stopped comprehensive tracking after this date, it is tricky to figure out how many vaccines is typical in the U.S. Many people have received additional bivalent vaccines, and individuals who are immunocompromised may have received more Covid-19 vaccines than typical healthy people. But the majority of people are unlikely to have had any more than five to six Covid-19 vaccines, making this man's sheer number of vaccines highly unusual.

Initially the public prosecutor in the city of Magdeburg, where the man lived, had opened a fraud investigation into him, but it never filed charges. The scientists found the man through newspaper reports and approached him to see whether he would be willing to be studied.

"We contacted him and invited him to undergo various tests in Erlangen. He was very interested in doing so, said Dr. Kilian Schober from the Institute of Microbiology at Germanys University Hospital of Erlangen, speaking in a press release about the work.

The man gave the researchers new blood and saliva samples as well as access to blood samples that had been taken after he received somebut not allof his vaccines. He also insisted on getting more vaccines after he had been in touch with the researchers and gave them blood samples after those, too.

"We were also able to take blood samples ourselves when the man received a further vaccination during the study at his own insistence. We were able to use these samples to determine exactly how the immune system reacts to the vaccination," said Schober.

The man did not report any vaccine-related side effects to the research team. Even the 217th vaccination that the man received had an effect on his immune cells, with the researchers finding that the number of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 increased significantly as a result.

Overall, we did not find any indication for a weaker immune response, rather the contrary," said Katharina Kocher, another researcher involved in the study.

The researchers also tested the man for evidence of a previous Covid-19 infection, finding none.

Although the hundreds of vaccinations the man received appear to have had no ill effects on him, the researchers stress in the paper that they do not recommend this approach.

"There are theoretical dangers with any medical intervention and possible side-effects are known for each vaccine type. The more often you get vaccinated, the more cumulative risks piles up to experience any such side effects," said Dr. Schober. "Apart from that, I see no specific danger with hypervaccination and based on our findings I have no concerns about long-term effects."

I am a postdoctoral research scientist focusing on childhood cancers and new, targeted cancer therapies. As a survivor of childhood leukemia myself, I am a determined advocate for research into better, less-toxic cancer treatments and how to reduce the long-term side effects of current drugs. I am an award-winning science communicator and have written for The Times, The Guardian and various cancer-focused outlets. I am also a 2017 TED Fellow, having done my TED talk on cancer survivorship and I regularly do public talks on topics ranging from Why havent we cured cancer yet? to Cannabis and cancer; hype or hope?. I am passionate about using social media to communicate science and frequently share pictures and stories from my own laboratory work in real-time on my Twitter account @vickyyyf, alongside commentary about important research breakthroughs. You can find out more about me and how to get in contact via my website drvickyforster.com. All of my articles reflect my personal views and not those of my employer.

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Man Receives Hundreds Of Covid-19 Vaccines - Forbes

Or is it becoming an endemic disease? A BU virologist, epidemiologist, and physician reflect on the status of the virus as the CDC cuts isolation period to 24 hours Is COVID-19 Still a Pandemic?

Or is it becoming an endemic disease? A BU virologist, epidemiologist, and physician reflect on the status of the virus as the CDC cuts isolation period to 24 hours

Can we finally throw away the masks? Three BU experts share their perspectives on the shifting status of COVID-19. Photo via iStock/ArtMarie

First it was 14 days, then 10 days, to 7 days, then down to 5 daysthe time were supposed to isolate after testing positive for COVID-19 has changed drastically since the start of the pandemic. And now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has cut it to 24 hours, after a person is fever-free and symptoms are improving.

All of these changes, plus the widespread relaxation of mask policies in public places, begs the question: Are we still in a pandemic? Or has COVID-19 reached the endemic stage, meaning its here to stay, but not spreading out of control? The terminology can be confusingfor example, the World Health Organization still calls COVID-19 a pandemic, even after declaring an end to the public health emergency last spring.

The Brink asked three Boston University researchersa virologist, an epidemiologist, and an emergency room physicianto explain the shifting status of COVID, how to decide when a virus has gone from a pandemic to endemic, how much people should protect themselves and others, and why language matters. Here are their expert takes, in their own words:

It might be helpful to refer to definitions. A pandemic is defined as a widespread disease outbreak that causes disruption on a global scale. This could be contrasted with the definition for endemic, which is, the constant presence of a disease or infectious agent within a given geographic area or population group.

It is difficult to identify a shift from pandemic to endemic in real time. The assessment is often made when looking back in time and reassessing the situation. What we can say about the current situation is that we are no longer in a phase where society is experiencing widespread disruptions because of the virus. As an infectious diseases physician, I am not seeing large numbers of individuals presenting with severe disease and needing to be hospitalized. This is because of population-level immunity from either vaccination or prior infection. We also have antivirals, such as Paxlovid, which help with preventing the need to be hospitalized.

Although we often like to focus on classifications, such as epidemic/pandemic versus endemic, endemicity does not mean that a condition is benign or without consequences. For example, malaria is endemic to Africa and it kills nearly half a million people every year. In the case of SARS-CoV-2, in 2023, scientists estimated that there was a 20 percent chance over the next two years that we might see another Omicron-like wave. Therefore, we need to remain vigilant. It is important that the nation maintains a robust surveillance system, so that we could quickly identify and address any future variants. In addition, approximately 2,000 people are dying every week from COVID in the US and we are continuing to learn more about long COVID and its consequences. Although we are in a different phase, there are still reasons to remain vigilant.

Being up-to-date with vaccination should be the first line of defense. Vaccination not only decreases the risk of severe disease, but it also prevents long COVID. Recent data show that being boosted also makes a difference. Individuals who are at higher risk for severe COVID-19 should also consider using additional measures to protect themselves, such as limiting time in crowds and wearing a high-quality mask in poorly ventilated indoor settings. Improving indoor air quality with ventilation and filtration decreases the risk of transmission. Testing and antivirals are also helpful. We have learned a lot over the past several years and it is time to use all those lessons to protect everyone in the community.

COVID remains a major cause of illness and death worldwide. Is it still a pandemic? There are two things to consider in answering this question. First, how widespread does a disease need to be for us to call it a pandemic? The original SARS cases in 2003 met the definition of a pandemic because the virus spread in Asia and in North America, but the size of this pandemic was much smaller. COVID-19 has caused almost 800 million cases of disease worldwide since January 2020, and over 7 million deaths. Thats 100,000 times as many cases as SARS in 2003, and 10,000 times as many deaths; in fact, these numbers are likely underestimated. Right now, COVID cases are still happening widely. In December 2023, the WHO reported 1.2 million COVID cases and 9,575 deaths worldwide. Viewed this way, COVID is definitely still a pandemic.

The answer to our question also relies on how many cases of the disease we normally expect. And this is where governments have flexibility in deciding whether we are in a pandemic. In January 2020, less than 100 cases had ever been reported anywhere. By January 2021, there were 5 million cases per week; in January 2022 and 2023, there were over 20 million cases per week. How many cases we have today in January 2024 is less clearthe end of the emergency has led to a dramatic reduction in testing. The CDC still reports COVID hospitalizations, and, in the week of January 6, 2024, there were about 35,000 hospitalizations due to COVID across the US. By comparison, there were 44,000 hospitalizations at the same time in 2023. These numbers are not very different.

But are these numbers higher than expected or is this just our new normal? The answer to that question is the key to whether we call COVID a pandemic or not. The WHO has ended their public health emergency for COVID, but they still call COVID a pandemic. This reflects their perspective that millions of cases of a relatively new disease every week around the world is not a scenario we should just accept as normal.

All pandemics end eventually. Some, like SARS, end with the rapid elimination of disease. Others, like the plague, end with the disease finally fading into obscurity. Still others, like the 1918 influenza pandemic, see the disease growing milder without disappearing. And some, like smallpox, continue to cause high levels of illness, death, and disability, until we all agree that enough is enough and take action.

With nearly as many hospitalizations in January 2024 as in January 2023, its clear that COVID is not growing milder and its not fading away. The real question, then, is not whether COVID is still a pandemic, but how much COVID illness and death are we willing to accept?

I think the language we use is very important. As a virologist, I use the word pandemic to describe an infectious disease that erupts quickly and puts unexpected pressure on our healthcare system. This is absolutely what we experienced when SARS-CoV-2 spread across the globe in 2020. The emergence was unexpected and there was massive pressure on our healthcare system. The newness of the virus stoked uncertainty and fear. That was then. Now, infection with SARS-CoV-2 is not novel. There is not an unexpected pressure on the healthcare system because of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Infection is still happening all the time. That marks it as endemic. The shift from pandemic to endemic is really marked by time and prevalence. The first SARS-CoV [virus] appeared in 2003 and now has not been seen for decades, so it was a pandemic, but never became endemic. SARS-CoV-2 seems like it is here to stay, right now. That makes it endemic.

I think that people should act the same way they act when trying not to spread flu or other respiratory diseases. If you are really sick, stay away from others. If you know you are sick but not highly symptomatic, distance and masking are polite and helpful. If you know you are going to be around strongly immunocompromised people, being extra careful is a kind thing to do.

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Is COVID-19 Still a Pandemic? | The Brink - Boston University