SARS-Cov-2

Although the COVID-19 antibody and immune responses were delayed in patients on dialysis, their responses were “substantially stronger” to the Moderna vaccine than the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Pfizer and BioNTech said Wednesday that two doses of their COVID-19 vaccine “may not” offer sufficient protection against the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, but a third dose appears to improve protection.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony S. Fauci, MD, said Tuesday that the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 might cause less severe COVID-19 illness.

Researchers found no pattern of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults following COVID-19 vaccination without previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Six COVID-19 vaccines increased protection when given as booster shots 10 to 12 weeks after a two-dose primary series of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, according to results from a randomized controlled trial published in The Lancet.

Among countries hosting COVID-19 vaccine trials, higher income countries have received proportionally more doses of authorized COVID-19 vaccines, making it easier for them to vaccinate their population, a study found.

COVID-19 vaccination rates differ significantly among people with HIV, researchers found.

President Joe Biden on Thursday announced a new nine-point plan to combat COVID-19 during the winter months that will make at-home tests free and tighten restrictions on people traveling to the United States.

Genomic testing at the University of California, San Francisco, and the CDC confirmed the first reported case of COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant in the United States, officials announced Wednesday.

The CDC has strengthened its recommendation for COVID-19 booster shots, saying all adults should get one, when eligible.