Covid Vaccine Race

Receiving a COVID-19 booster vaccine significantly reduced Omicron infections among National Basketball Association (NBA) players and staff.

The company’s investigational mRNA-1273.214 vaccine has now demonstrated significantly higher antibody titers against all tested variants.

Health care workers in Italy infected with SARS-CoV-2 were less likely to develop long COVID symptoms if they were fully vaccinated and boosted with an mRNA vaccine, a recent study found.

Here is a rundown of the most popular and significant stories we covered this past week.

Antibody levels decline in individuals with hybrid immunity similarly to vaccinated individuals, meaning all people need a booster vaccine to protect against future, potentially severe, infection.

A computational framework for estimating vaccine effectiveness based on genetic differences of SARS-CoV-2 variants showed promising results in a new study that verified the model with clinical trial data.

After an all-day meeting, the FDA’s Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) voted 90% YES to recommend this fall’s COVID-19 booster doses target Omicron.

Sanofi and GSK, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Moderna are all working on booster candidates specifically designed to neutralize Omicron and its subvariants.

Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH, signs off on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation for individuals 6 through 17 years of age.

Patients with a history of infection who were also vaccinated had the strongest protection, the data showed.

Studies, advances, and authorizations continue in this paramount area within infectious disease.

The CDC director endorsed the vote, and vaccines could be available to this young pediatric population by later this week.

This past week has been extremely busy in infectious disease with a lot of vaccine news that could impact young children. In addition, GSK reported on its phase 3 study on its RSV vaccine for seniors.

Following VRBPAC recommendations earlier this week, both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines were FDA-authorized for children as young as 6 months.

The FDA VRBPAC votes to recommend mRNA vaccines in youngest children; WHO moves to rename monkeypox; Anthony Fauci is diagnosed with COVID-19; and Pfizer stops recruiting for a Paxlovid trial.

Today, the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) unanimously voted to recommend both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines for children as young as 6 months old.

The committee voted twice splitting the questions into younger children (6-11 years) and adolescent (12-17 years) cohorts due to different vaccine dosing amounts.

Sanofi and GSK’s booster vaccine candidate is modeled on the Beta COVID-19 variant, and increases Omicron-neutralizing antibody titers 40-fold.

Rather than developing vaccines for each new variant, some officials are pushing to follow the flu vaccine model, with annual vaccination.

Immunization against COVID-19 benefits pregnant women as well as their offspring.

Moderna’s bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster, mRNA-1273.214, generated nearly twice the protective antibodies against Omicron.

The vote was 21-0 in favor of an emergency use authorization (EUA), with one voter abstaining.

The advisory group is meeting on Tuesday to discuss the vaccine’s presenting data and a potential authorization.

New vaccine for COVID-19 employing receptor-binding domain-dimer-based platform achieves 87.6% efficacy against severe to critical illness.

The White House coronavirus response coordinator said vaccines for children under 5 could potentially begin on June 21.

Medical professionals discuss how they affect immunity as well as the necessity of these additional vaccinations.

A new study from the CDC underscores the importance of staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, showing a rapid drop in vaccine effectiveness among children during the Omicron wave that increased with booster doses.

Companies say the 3 doses of their vaccine meet all immunobridging criteria required for the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).

The CDC’s COVID-19 booster dose recommendation for children 5 and older comes a few days after the FDA’s authorization

Public health and school officials need to consider strategies now.