COVID vaccines will continue to save lives

Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO)

May 22, 2024

COVID vaccines will continue to save lives, studies show—we look at what we avoided, what we gained, how far we’ve come, and what’s next. Plus, the CDC is keeping avian flu surveillance “at enhanced levels” into the summer. (497 words, 2 minutes, 29 seconds)

COVID vaccines will continue to save lives, studies show

Vaccination prevented death and hospitalization from COVID-19 health public health emergency—and will continue to protect us from the latest variants as well as non-COVID coronaviruses, according to new research.

What we avoided: Before vaccines, 1 in 60 (1.7%) infected with COVID-19 died, and 1 in 18 (5.7%) were hospitalized, says new research published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

What we did: In the first year, COVID-19 vaccination cut death rates 63%, saving 14.4 million lives, research shows.

What we’re facing: Existing vaccine and booster protection works against the new “FLiRT” variants of the COVID-19 virus, meaning the anticipated summer spike should be mild, experts say.

What we’re doing about it: The formula for the next updated vaccdine will be recommended by the Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC), which postponed last week’s meeting until June 5 to collect more data. The delayed vote is not expected to dela the rollout of vaccines.

What we’ll gain: VRBPAC will recommend the formulation for the next updated vaccine to help vaccine developers target current and anticipated COVID-19 strains. They are expected in the fall before respiratory illness season.

What we’ve already gained: Along with protecting against COVID-19 variants, vaccines and boosters apparently protect against other types of sarbecovirus coronaviruses that could cause a future pandemic, new research shows.

What we need to do: Keep up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccines, and all vaccines!

CDC to keep avian flu surveillance ‘at enhanced levels’

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wants public health partners to keep the gas on avian flu surveillance this summer.

The context: Avian flu has been circulating among poultry and dairy cows, with the second human infection ever recorded in the U.S. reported in April. CDC says the risk to humans remains low.

The news: Yesterday, the CDC asked state and local health officials to keep influenza surveillance “at enhanced levels” during the summer to ensure detection of even the rare cases of avian flu in humans.

The details: CDC Principal Deputy Director Nirav Shah “asked jurisdictions to work with clinical laboratories to increase submissions of positive influenza virus samples to public health laboratories for subtyping. Subtyping is a process that determines whether the influenza A sample is a common, seasonal influenza virus or a novel virus like H5N1,” reports the CDC.

Why it matters: Epidemiologists believe avian flu could be much more widespread among cattle than initially thought, reported STAT News.

What’s next: There’s a lot more to unpack on avian flu—from where things stand with human and animal vaccines to the impact of import restrictions on American poultry. We’ll take a closer look next week (after tomorrow’s Farm Bill markup).

BIO Beltway Report

President Biden’s Wednesday: Meeting Kenyan President William Ruto to discuss the need for China to give debt relief and Kenya’s policing mission in Haiti, per Reuters.

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: The House Energy & Commerce Committee has planned a hearing, “Check Up: Examining FDA Regulation of Drugs, Biologics, and Devices,” with witnesses including directors of FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) and Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER).