Seems like the most important part for people who can’t be bothered to click:
A team led by virologist Alex Sigal at the Africa Health Research Institute in Durban, South Africa, analysed blood samples from 39 people who had been infected during the first Omicron wave, 15 of whom had been vaccinated2.
In lab experiments, antibodies in these samples were several times less effective at preventing cells from being infected by BA.4 or BA.5 than they were at keeping out the original Omicron strain. However, antibodies produced by people who had been vaccinated were more potent against the new variants than were those from people whose immunity stemmed solely from BA.1 infection. The study was posted on medRxiv.
Another study3, posted on the ResearchSquare preprint server and led by virologist Xiaoliang Xie at Peking University in Beijing, also found that antibodies triggered by BA.1 infection were less potent against BA.4 and BA.5. Moore says the results chime with her unpublished experiments, too.
BA.4 and BA.5’s capacity to escape immunity, although not dramatic, “is enough to cause trouble and lead to an infection wave” — but the variants are not likely to cause disease much more severe than was seen during the previous wave, especially in vaccinated people, Sigal said in a Twitter post. “They clearly have an advantage in antibody escape, which is one contributing factor in why they are spreading,” says Bloom.
This lines up with what we’re seeing in my area. Our reported new daily cases is comparable to the 2020 holiday wave, and we know that’s an underestimate. But hospitalizations, like, it’s not clear there’s even an upward trend at this point, and that’s after the uptick has been going since late March, 8ish weeks ago.
CONCLUSIONS
Two 50-μg doses of the mRNA-1273 vaccine were found to be safe and effective in inducing immune responses and preventing Covid-19 in children 6 to 11 years of age; these responses were noninferior to those in young adults.
One the one hand, great. On the other, what about 5 and under, motherfuckers?!
Sounds like they’re looking for approval for everyone?
The company is seeking approval for the use of its vaccines in three distinct age groups - adolescents aged 12 to 17 years, children aged six to 11 and those between six years and six months. The submissions for all three groups were made on May 9, it said.
CA Dept of Public Health going all in on triggering right-wing dipshits. Masks, no white kids, using the words “kind” and “kindness”. The hijab is the chef’s kiss.
Today, Rep. James E. Clyburn, Chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, issued the following statement after a staff briefing by Dr. Peter Marks, Director for the Center of Biologics Evaluation and Research at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on the status of coronavirus vaccine candidates for young children that took place on the afternoon of May 6.
[snip to get to the key point:]
FDA Will Not Withhold Authorization Based Exclusively on Vaccine Efficacy at Preventing Symptomatic Infection
Dr. Marks explained that FDA would not withhold authorization for a pediatric vaccine solely because it did not reach a 50% efficacy threshold at blocking symptomatic infection—a requirement that had been previously listed in FDA guidance. The vaccines currently authorized in the United States have proven to be less effective at preventing symptomatic infection from the Omicron variant—as compared to the original strain—but still remain effective at reducing the risk of severe disease.
Dr. Marks confirmed, “If these vaccines seem to be mirroring efficacy in adults and just seem to be less effective against Omicron like they are for adults, we will probably still authorize.” He further stated that FDA would “look carefully at all data” when assessing the vaccines—including the efficacy against severe disease—and made clear that “the goal here is to get some protection in sooner rather than later.”
Immunity from past infection is neither as robust nor as lasting as vaccination, and we know that immunity from vaccination wanes, too. Guess I should just keep letting them get covid so that they’ll be protected from covid?
