In a study of COVID-19 infections among immunocompromised adults between Dec. 1 and Jan. 13, when XBB.1.5 was prevalent, the CDC found an overall 49 percent vaccine efficacy in people ages 18-49. When BA.5 was dominant, the boosters showed a 52 percent efficacy in the same age group.
“Findings from this study suggest that bivalent booster doses are continuing to provide additional protection against symptomatic infection for at least the first 3 months after vaccination in persons who had previously received 2, 3, or 4 monovalent vaccine doses, which supports recommendations to continue to increase bivalent booster coverage,” the researchers wrote in conclusion.
The FDA authorized the bivalent shots Sept. 1, and they were engineered to target omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, with the latter dominating COVID-19 cases in summer 2022. Since then, multiple subvariants have cropped up; one of them, XBB.1.5, accounts for nearly 1 in 2 COVID-19 infections.
Becker’s 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit is the top tier event that the people leading the future of pharmacy convene. This 3-day event is built specifically for Chief Pharmacy Officers and senior pharmacy leaders. The sessions examine the workforce, financial and clinical priorities shaping pharmacy today. Becker’s is where candid discussions flourish and new ideas thrive. Becker's 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit
