FDA Panel Unanimously Backs Moderna’s COVID Vax for Kids and Teens
A committee of independent vaccine experts recommended that the FDA grant an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the two-dose Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 6 to 17 years. The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) voted 22-0, agreeing unanimously that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks in two age groups: kids […]
FDA Advisers Back Authorization of Novavax COVID Shot
The benefits of Novavax’s adjuvanted protein-based COVID-19 vaccine outweigh the risks, the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) said in a near-unanimous vote on Tuesday. With 21 members voting yes, and one abstention, VRBPAC recommended Novavax’s two-dose vaccine for adults, saying that it met the criteria for FDA emergency use authorization (EUA). […]
How Long Does the Shingrix Vaccine Last? 4 Years, 2 Dosages & Side Effects
Effects of the Shingrix vaccine last for at least four years in most people The effects of the Shingrix vaccine last for at least four years in most people and may last even longer in some. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you do not need a booster dose after getting the […]
New COVID Vaccines From Canada, China Score in International Trials
A plant-based vaccine developed in Canada and a protein subunit vaccine from China proved safe and effective against symptomatic COVID-19, a pair of phase III trials found. The two-dose plant-based vaccine, a combination of coronavirus-like particles in plants plus an adjuvant, showed 69.5% efficacy (95% CI 56.7-78.8) against any symptomatic disease caused by five pre-Omicron […]
RSV Vaccine Holds Promise for Pregnant Women
A bivalent protein-based vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) administered during pregnancy was safe and led to higher neutralizing antibody responses in mothers, as well as evidence of protection in their infants, an interim analysis of a phase IIb trial found. The geometric mean ratios of 50% neutralizing antibody titers against RSV A and B […]
More Evidence Hybrid Immunity Confers Highest Level of COVID Protection
Hybrid immunity from a COVID-19 infection plus a vaccine provided an immune boost against symptomatic disease, as well as severe outcomes, Brazilian researchers found. Among people who survived a COVID infection from Feb. 24, 2020 to Nov. 11, 2021, vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic disease at least 14 days after series completion was 44.0% (95% CI […]
Letting Kyrie Irving Play in NYC Sends the Wrong Message on COVID Vaccination
New York City (NYC) on Dec. 13, 2021 enacted the broadest COVID-19 vaccine mandate of any large U.S. jurisdiction: all private sector employers based in the city must have their employees fully vaccinated whenever they work in-person in the city. In the professional sports world, Brooklyn Nets and other basketball fans complained loudly when the […]
Investigational RSV Vaccine in Pregnancy Tied to Fewer Abx Scripts for Babies
Infants whose mothers received an investigational respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine in pregnancy had fewer antimicrobial prescriptions during their first 3 months of life, a post hoc secondary analysis of a randomized trial found. Across 11 countries, infants born to mothers assigned to the vaccine arm during pregnancy had a 12.9% (95% CI 1.3-23.1) lower […]
Opinion | ‘Like Someone Suddenly Blew a Dog Whistle in My Ear’: What We Heard This Week
“It was like someone suddenly blew a dog whistle in my ear.” — Gregory Poland, MD, of the Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group, describing how he developed tinnitus while driving back from the hospital after receiving his second COVID-19 vaccine. “We need to think more like a business.” — Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, PhD, of the […]
How Long Does the Shingrix Vaccine Last? Effectiveness & Side Effects
Effects of the Shingrix vaccine last for at least four years in most people The effects of the Shingrix vaccine last for at least four years in most people and may last even longer in some. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you do not need a booster dose after getting the […]