Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Pfizer Says Omicron Shot Better Against Variant Than First Jabs
Stat: Pfizer: Omicron-Containing Boosters Outperform Current Vaccine
Pfizer said Saturday that using new versions of its Covid-19 vaccine as boosters led to a superior antibody response against the Omicron variant compared to its current shot. The results in some ways mirror those released by Moderna earlier this month. Data from both companies will be evaluated on Tuesday by a panel of experts convened by the Food and Drug Administration in the hopes of deciding what strains of the SARS-Cov-2 virus should be included in booster shots for the fall. Companies will need lead time to manufacture doses of new vaccines if it is decided they are needed. (Herper, 6/25)
In other news on the vaccine rollout —
CIDRAP: Fourth Pfizer Dose Effective Against Severe COVID-19 In Nursing Homes
A study yesterday in JAMA Internal Medicine shows that a fourth Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine dose provided 64% to 67% protection against hospitalization and 72% protection against death in nursing home residents, but only 34% protection against infection during an Omicron-dominated period. (6/24)
AP: Army Guard Troops Risk Dismissal As Vaccine Deadline Looms
Up to 40,000 Army National Guard soldiers across the country — or about 13% of the force — have not yet gotten the mandated COVID-19 vaccine, and as the deadline for shots looms, at least 14,000 of them have flatly refused and could be forced out of the service. Guard soldiers have until Thursday to get the vaccine. According to data obtained by The Associated Press, between 20% to 30% of the Guard soldiers in six states are not vaccinated, and more than 10% in 43 other states still need shots. (Baldor, 6/25)
And more on the spread of covid —
The Boston Globe: Experts Expect Subvariants To Cause ‘Substantial’ Summer Cases Of COVID-19
Until last week, Dr. Ali Mokdad expected the United States to have “a very good summer” in terms of COVID-19. Projections by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, where he works, forecasted falling cases, hospitalizations, and deaths through at least September. Then, circumstances changed: Researchers discovered that BA.4 and BA.5 — subvariants of Omicron spreading in the United States — are “immune escapes,” adept at avoiding the antibodies the body produces after vaccination or infection to neutralize the virus. “That has changed our view for what will happen this summer,” Mokdad said. Though he still expects cases to decrease, the decline will be slower and smaller than projected. (Caldera, 6/26)
Bay Area News Group: Alameda County Lifts Indoor Masking Requirement — Again
Alameda County is once again lifting a requirement for people to wear face masks in most indoor settings. The change was scheduled to take effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. The county on June 3 became the first in the Bay Area – and perhaps the state – to reimpose the face mask requirement. At the time, COVID-19 cases from new omicron variants were pushing hospitalizations to levels that alarmed local health officials. (Green, 6/24)
The Baltimore Sun: University Of Maryland Doctors Look To College Athletes To Understand COVID’s Effects On The Heart
Doctors learned early in the pandemic that COVID-19 was more than a respiratory disease. It was attacking bodily organs, including the heart — even in healthy, young athletes. Enough athletes with COVID were experiencing heart inflammation, called myocarditis, that doctors at the University of Maryland and other Big Ten schools didn’t want to take any chances. Myocarditis already was seen as one of the leading causes of sudden death in elite athletes, so doctors across the conference immediately imposed official protocols that kept some players off the fields for up to six months. Some grumbled, but everyone recovered. (Cohn, 6/27)
ABC News: Can High-Tech Air Filtration Systems Lower The Risk Of COVID In Autos?
Still concerned about COVID-19 transmission in automobiles? One carmaker may have a novel approach to keeping passengers safe. British luxury marque Jaguar Land Rover claims the Cabin Air Purification Pro filtration in its new Range Rover SUV can "significantly reduce odors, bacteria, viruses and allergens including SARS-CoV-2 virus" thanks to nanoe X, an electrostatic technology developed by Panasonic. (Korn, 6/26)
