Top in ID: Effectiveness of COVID-19 boosters; XBB.1.5 subvariant
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A recent study showed that absolute vaccine efficacy against COVID-19 hospitalization was higher in boosted individuals compared with those who received the primary series only.
Since the U.S. population is now “generally well covered” in terms of having received COVID-19 booster doses, Nathaniel M. Lewis, PhD, a member of the CDC’s COVID-19 Response Team, said it is important to see how effective the boosters were in preventing COVID-19 hospitalization compared with no vaccination or having received just a primary series. It was the top story in infectious disease last week.
Another top story was about the XBB.1.5 omicron subvariant, which experts said is the most immune-evasive variant of SARS-CoV-2 so far. According to the CDC, this subvariant now accounts for 71% of new infections in the Northeast United States.
Read these and more top stories in infectious disease below:
Study: Absolute effectiveness of recent COVID-19 booster against hospitalization is 81%
The absolute vaccine effectiveness of a recent first booster dose of COVID-19 messenger RNA vaccine against COVID-associated hospitalization is 81% compared with 46% for the primary series alone, researchers found. Read more.
XBB.1.5 finds ‘evolutionary sweet spot,’ becomes most transmissible subvariant
The XBB.1.5 omicron subvariant has evolved to become the most transmissible SARS-CoV-2 subvariant yet, rapidly replacing other variants, although its ultimate impact on the pandemic is unclear, according to experts. Read more.
Biomarker may curb unnecessary antibiotic use for lower respiratory tract infection
Patients with lower respiratory tract infections and low procalcitonin levels treated with placebo improved at rates similar to those given azithromycin, with fewer side effects and less antibiotic exposure, a recent study showed. Read more.
Single dose of Jynneos mpox vaccine reduces hospitalization risk, disease severity
A single dose of the Jynneos mpox vaccine reduces hospitalization risk and disease severity, a study found, although researchers emphasized that people at risk for the disease should complete the two-dose vaccine series. Read more.
Top vaccine news from 2022: COVID-19 boosters, malaria, Ebola and more
Updated COVID-19 shots, including bivalent boosters, dominated vaccine news in 2022, but good news also came for vaccines against malaria, Ebola and cancer. Read more.