Getting the latest coronavirus vaccine can cut your risk of symptomatic infection in half, early data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows.
Vaccine manufacturers have updated their formulations to target the Omicron variant XBB.1.5, the strain that was primarily circulating for most of 2023. But new data from the CDC shows the latest vaccines are just as effective against JN.1, which has caused the most coronavirus infections in the United States since late December.
For this analysis, researchers analyzed trends among more than 9,000 adults who were tested for COVID-19 at Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy stores between mid-September and mid-January. . Researchers were able to distinguish between specific strains of the virus in some patients who tested positive by testing for certain “signatures” of the virus. Overall, updated coronavirus vaccines reduce symptomatic infections in recently vaccinated immunocompetent adults compared to adults who did not receive the updated vaccines, according to a report released Thursday by the CDC. It is said to have a 54% protective effect against the disease.
“Everything we learn from this study gives us confidence that the vaccine provides the protection we were hoping for,” said lead author of the new study and director of the CDC’s Covid and RSV said Ruth Link-Gelles, director of the Vaccine Effectiveness Program. “Although there are no estimates of the vaccine’s effectiveness, particularly in immunocompromised populations, the fact that the vaccine is effective in the general population is, in my opinion, reassuring for the entire population.”
Generally , the United States’ COVID-19 vaccination program aims to prevent severe disease. However, measuring vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic infections provides particularly early insight into vaccine efficacy. This estimate is often the first available because more people get infected than are hospitalized, so the population is large enough to be investigated early. Linkgels said.
“A really nice feature of this analysis is that it checks this box: Yes, the vaccine is effective and provides protection. It also protects against JN.1, which is currently the most common variant. We provide,” she said.
The latest COVID-19 vaccines have only been available since September following recommendations from the CDC’s Independent Vaccine Advisory Committee and formal approval from the agency and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. , this analysis can only track up to about 4 trends. Several months after vaccination.
Based on trends in COVID-19 vaccines, the protection provided by modern vaccines is expected to decline over time. A small “hint” of this was observed in the new study, Linkels said. However, the CDC will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the latest vaccines, and additional analyzes at a later date will determine how effective the vaccines are at preventing severe disease and how quickly protection wears off. would be helpful.
Although the United States does not have a system to track COVID-19 cases, wastewater data shows that COVID-19 continues to circulate at high levels in the United States, with tens of thousands of new cases still occurring each week. It has been suggested that coronavirus infections have led to hospitalizations and hundreds of deaths. In the week ending January 13, there were about 31,000 hospitalizations and more than 1,800 deaths due to COVID-19, according to CDC data.
Still, the CDC says only about 1 in 5 adults and 1 in 9 children have received the latest coronavirus vaccine, which is recommended for everyone 6 months and older. It is estimated that only.
In comparison, nearly half of adults and children have received a flu shot this season. And it could be considered a very good addition during flu season, when the vaccine matches the 50 most contagious strains that are circulating, Linkgeles said.
“There is no perfect time to get the COVID-19 vaccine,” she said. “Even if the number of hospitalizations is relatively low at the moment, this additional protection will make a big difference.”