Covid Vaccine Race

New data coming from Israel shows the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine did offer some protection initially, but waning immunity occurs rapidly.

A pair of new studies in the Journal of the American Medical Association add to growing evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are safe during pregnancy, showing no increased risk for adverse outcomes among women who were vaccinated during pregnancy and their babies.

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

One day after the FDA approved second booster shots for certain vulnerable populations, the National Institute of Health (NIH) announced they have begun enrolling adult US participants in a phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate a second COVID-19 booster dose.

The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna mRNA vaccines were found to produce different antibody and killer T-cell responses, suggesting a “mix and match” booster approach may provide the best protection against COVID-19.

New policy appears inconsistent and, on the surface, unfair, expert says.

The new action by the federal agency now means the additional booster shot can be administered to people 50 years and older.

The federal agency is expected to provide the EUAs prior to their next VRBPAC meeting on April 6.

Check out the important stories we covered this week.

The company is developing a single combination vaccine to cover SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) as well as another candidate for endemic human coronaviruses.

This designation of the company’s respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine candidate, PF-06928316, will help to expedite its development and review.

The findings are significant given that a second booster dose may soon be recommended.

Along with reporting positive data in the youngest pediatric population, the company is working with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use authorization of its vaccine in children 6 years to under 11 years as well as the 12-17 age groups.

COVID-19 vaccines were less protective against symptomatic infection from the Omicron COVID-19 variant than the Delta variant.

Recent booster shots of mRNA vaccines prevented severe infection, hospitalization and death during the Omicron wave of the pandemic, despite a higher rate of breakthrough infections than was seen during the Delta wave, a new study found.

Check out these important stories we covered this past week.

The submission is for a fourth dose of its Spikevax (mRNA-1273) vaccine in adults 18 years of age and older.

A recent JAMA article discussed the role of caregiver vaccination status in pediatric hospitals and ethics of exclusion.

Pfizer’s COVID-19 pill Paxlovid, which includes nirmatrelvir and ritonavir, reduced the risk of hospitalization and death by 89% among adults at high risk for severe disease, recently published phase 2/3 trial data show.

The application is based on 2 Israeli studies for the additional shot for people 65 years and older.

In children and adolescents, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was only mildly effective against symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 infections. Broken down by variant, Omicron infections were more likely to occur and more likely to be asymptomatic.

In a nationally televised interview, Pfizer Albert Bourla said it is necessary to fend off waning protection.

Popular pain and fever-reducing drugs can have unintended consequences when it comes to infectious diseases.

A large surveillance study of 2 symptom-reporting databases found side effects after Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination were frequently nonserious and resolved within 1-2 days.

Final analysis of phase 3, placebo-controlled trial confirms efficacy and safety of single-dose adenoviral vector vaccine against COVID-19.

This week, one of the m-RNA COVID-19 vaccine’s effectiveness was shown to drop from 68% to 12% in children 5-11 years old within a month. This data raises concerns of what should be done to protect this pediatric population.

However, those that do have significant influence—and may have affected vaccination rates and treatment use, research suggests.

New research points to vaccine effectiveness against infection dropping from 68% to 12% in this pediatric population within a month.

Although it is possible, a small Danish study showed the majority of these cases were often mild and in unvaccinated individuals.

The waning of protection after full vaccination matters more than the advent of the more transmissible Delta variant in subjects who tested positive for COVID-19.