Here’s How to Avoid a COVID-19 Vaccine Mix-Up
Recognizing the potential for vaccine administration errors with look-alike vials, CDC staff shared best practices for giving the right vaccine to the right person at the right dose, during a Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) webinar earlier this week. The most concerning possible vaccination error would be that a child might receive a higher […]
Vax Protection Fades Fast Against BA.4/5-Related Hospitalizations
Vaccine protection against hospitalization from the latest Omicron subvariants deteriorates rapidly, even after a third dose, new data from South Africa indicated, suggesting that annual boosters might not cut it for high-risk people. With the primary two-dose series of Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine, effectiveness against BA.4/5-related hospitalization slipped from 47.4% after 3-4 months (95% CI 19.9-65.5) […]
High-Dose Flu Vaccine Promising for Mortality Benefits in Older Adults
BARCELONA – A Danish feasibility study that tested a high-dose quadrivalent influenza vaccine versus a standard dose hinted at morbidity and mortality benefits, researchers reported. In the DANFLU-1 study, there was a 48.9% reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality and a 64% reduction in the incidence of hospitalization for influenza or pneumonia for high-dose […]
False Claims About COVID Vax Animal Testing Resurface
False claims that COVID-19 vaccine trials were halted when animals died in preclinical studies are making the rounds on social media again, according to reports. The misinformation gained traction in 2021 after Sen. Bob Hall (R-Texas) claimed at a hearing that the “American people are now guinea pigs.” A 1-minute clip of his remarks was […]
Long-Denied COVID Vax Lands Authorization
As expected, the FDA has granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) for Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine in adults, the agency announced on Wednesday. The decision follows a near-unanimous FDA advisory committee recommendation more than a month ago, with the EUA reportedly delayed in order to allow regulators time to review recent changes to the vaccine’s manufacturing […]
Patients with lupus benefit from COVID-19 vaccine booster
People with systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE, who received a “booster” dose of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine after full vaccination are roughly half as likely to have a subsequent “breakthrough” COVID-19 infection, a new study shows. The finding, researchers say, should offer reassurance to the more than 200,000 Americans who have SLE, a condition in which the […]
Universal influenza B vaccine induces broad, sustained protection, biomedical sciences researchers find
A new universal flu vaccine protects against influenza B viruses, offering broad defense against different strains and improved immune protection, according to a new study by researchers in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University. The double-layered protein nanoparticle vaccine, which is constructed with a stabilized portion of the influenza virus (the hemagglutinin […]
Opinion | Are Omicron-Targeted Boosters Worth It?
The FDA, following the advice of its advisory committee, is advising COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers to reformulate future booster shots to include protection against the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2. While this decision was not surprising and may have seemed perfunctory to many people, it is worth thinking about the wider context that undergirds […]
FDA Panel Gives Thumbs Up to Omicron-Containing COVID Boosters
An FDA advisory committee voted 19-2 on Tuesday to recommend use of an Omicron-specific component in a future COVID-19 vaccine booster. “We really do need vaccines that provide broader protection against variants that have not yet emerged,” said Melinda Wharton, MD, MPH, associate director of vaccine policy at the CDC, at a remote meeting of […]
Is HBV the Same as Hepatitis B?
Getting the hepatitis B vaccine is the only way to prevent the disease. Learn about transmission, diagnosis, and treatment Hepatitis B is caused by HBV, or the hepatitis B virus. Most HBV infections resolve within 1-2 months even without active treatment. If the infection lasts longer than 6 months, it can progress to chronic HBV, […]