Category: Corona Virus Vaccine

WOODLAND Health officials in one Northern California county are once again urging residents to mask up and get vaccinated.

The advisory, released Wednesday by Yolo County Public Health, comes amid data that shows high levels of the COVID-19 virus in wastewater. High levels of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are also being detected.

As CBS13 reported on Tuesday, COVID-19 cases have been climbing again in Northern California with hospitalizations also increasing.

A new, possibly more contagious COVID variant labeled JN.1 is the likely driver behind the spike.

"I recommend that everybody in the community take steps to protect themselves from infection, including wearing a high-quality mask when indoors around others," said Yolo County's Public Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson in a statement on Wednesday.

Yolo was one of several Northern California counties identified by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention in last week's data showing the highest level of COVID-19 hospitalizations across the state. Coupled with Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer and Yolo, the region has 246 hospital admissions.

UC Davis researchers have been at the forefront of tracking COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic by testing the city's wastewater treatment plant.

Cecilio Padilla is a writer for CBS13 News and a Sacramento area native.

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California county urges residents to wear masks again as COVID-19, RSV levels spike - CBS News

Vaccines ensure bouts of COVID are far less deadly than they were at the pandemic's start, yet multiple studies now suggest even seemingly mild cases of the coronavirus have a cost. With every single infection, our risk of long COVID increases.

While this risk starts (relatively) low for most of us, particularly those vaccinated and in younger people or children, there are concerning signs it may not stay low. If each new invasion of our bodies allows this insidious virus a greater chance to cause damage, such small risks will eventually add up to a big one.

Even if you only experience the symptom of the initial infection mildly.

"Each subsequent COVID infection will increase your risk of developing chronic health issues like diabetes, kidney disease, organ failure and even mental health problems," physician Rambod Rouhbakhsh warned journalist Sara Berg in an American Medical Association podcast earlier this year.

"This dispels the myth that repeated brushes with the virus are mild and you don't have to worry about it. It is akin to playing Russian roulette."

Long COVID is defined as a multisystem disease that have a devastating effect on any organ system, with potentially lifelong consequences. Rates of long COVID among people who have contracted SARS-CoV-2 vary controversially between studies and regions, from about 10 percent to a staggering 50 percent of people who've had the virus reported as having long term symptoms.

Global estimates suggest 65 million people now suffer from long COVID. Luckily, children currently appear to be impacted at much lower rates, but they're not entirely spared either.

So epidemiologist Benjamin Bowe and colleagues followed 138,818 US veterans with SAR-CoV-2 infections across 2 years, to learn more. Their data demonstrates that on reinfection patients had increased risk of long COVID in multiple organ systems.

The adverse health effects from two infections are worse than one, and three infections worse than two, the researchers explain. This means long COVID is cumulative, at least within this group of people and with this number of re-infections.

As their research is only based on US veterans affairs patients, it may not translate to everyone, but this is not the only study to find this concerning trend.

A study with much broader sampling involving people aged 18 and over across 10 Canadian provinces points to the same conclusion:

"The study adds to a growing body of evidence around the association between COVID-19 reinfection and the reporting of long-term symptoms," McGill University statistician Sianne Kuang and team write.

Another study, which has yet to be peer reviewed, used data recorded from 1.5 million people in the US to compare severities of initial and subsequent infections. They also note an increase in long COVID after reinfections in the variants following Delta and Omicron.

Whether this is down to reinfection in general or due to changes in newer SARS-Cov-2 strains is still unclear. What's more, Kuang and team caution the studies demonstrating this increase in risk are still "limited in number and generalizability."

However we also know the virus changes our immune systems. It preys on our memory T cells which are critical in forming long term immunity. SARS-Cov-2 forces its way into these cells and causes them to activate the cell's self-destruction programming and essentially implode.

Whether we experience a mild or severe COVID infection, COVID depletes our T cells. This is only one of the long term consequences of COVID, and may contribute to more severe and frequent outbreaks of other diseases like pneumonia and RSV.

Now, approaching the holiday season, wastewater testing indicates many countries, including in the US, are experiencing large new surges of COVID infections. Higher than ever in some places like Germany.

It seems allowing this rapidly mutating pathogen to run rampant has provided it with the perfect laboratory to keep testing out random gene mutations until SARS-CoV-2 stumbles on one that can get past our next line of defenses and out-competes the other strains.

The new JN.1 strain, also called Pirola, has managed just that. A single mutation appears to have made it harder for our immune systems to capture and thwart, meaning past vaccines and infections are no longer as protective.

Early signs indicate the most updated XBB.1.5 vaccines may have better luck against Pirola.

In light of long COVID possibly being cumulative, many of those involved with the disease, from clinicians and scientists to disability advocates and journalists, are so concerned they've signed an open letter to US President Biden urging for more support for the people facing this condition.

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Every COVID Infection Increases Your Risk of Long COVID, Study Warns - ScienceAlert

A trio of new studies provide a snapshot of US adult vaccine uptake and views, with two showing the highest coverage for flu, followed by COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and one confirming greater willingness to get a flu shot than a COVID-19 shot.

Late last week in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) probed national uptake of the three vaccines among residents of nursing homes that reported data to the National Healthcare Safety Network in fall 2023.

"Nursing home residents are at risk for becoming infected with and experiencing severe complications from respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)," the investigators wrote.

"In 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first two RSV vaccines for adults aged 60 years, making the 20232024 respiratory virus season the first in which vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and RSV are simultaneously available in the United States," they added.

As of December 10, 33.1% of nursing home residents had received the updated COVID-19 vaccine, and 72.0% and 9.8% living at facilities that report flu and RSV uptake, respectively, had received those vaccines.

COVID-19 vaccine coverage ranged from 22.5% in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas to 42.9% in Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. Rates were highest (38.5%) in the least socially vulnerable counties and lowest (29.1%) in the most vulnerable. They were also higher in small nursing homes (37.3%) than in medium (32.3%) and large homes (32.2%).

Flu vaccine uptake ranged from 64.3% in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, andWashington to 79.9% in Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. Flu vaccine coverage was greatest in the least socially vulnerable counties (73.7%) and lowest in the most socially vulnerable (70.9%). Rates were also higher in small nursing homes (77.4%) than in medium (72.2%) and large facilities (69.8%).

RSV vaccination rates ranged from 5.9% in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee to 24.8% in Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. Uptake was highest in the least socially vulnerable counties (10.7%) and lowest in the most socially vulnerable counties (8.7%). Coverage was highest in small nursing homes (15.3%) and lowest in large homes (8.0%).

Possible reasons for low vaccine demand include "vaccine fatigue," inaccurate health information, and vaccine hesitancy, especially in socially vulnerable areas, the authors said. "Lower coverage in areas with higher social vulnerability might be related to challenges to vaccine access and cost and payment barriers associated with COVID-19 vaccine commercialization," they wrote.

Ongoing surveillance of vaccination coverage among nursing home residents remains essential to help guide timely efforts to increase vaccination in this population at high risk and address inequities.

The low RSV vaccine uptake could be a result of its relative newness, implementation challenges, limited time to train providers and develop protocols, and less staff familiarity with the risk of outbreaks and severe disease.

"Because vaccination coverage varied by vaccine type, region, SVI [Social Vulnerability Index], and facility size, ongoing surveillance of vaccination coverage among nursing home residents remains essential to help guide timely efforts to increase vaccination in this population at high risk and address inequities," the researchers concluded.

For a second study in MMWR, CDC researchers parsed fall 2023 data from the National Immunization Survey-Adult COVID Module, a random phone survey of US adults used to track COVID-19, flu, and RSV coverage.

By December 9, about 42.2% and 18.3% of adults reporting receiving a flu and COVID-19 shot, respectively, while 17.0% of older adults and 21.4% of those with chronic conditions said they were vaccinated against RSV. About 27% and 41% of adults and 53% of older adults said they would definitely, probably, or were unsure whether they would receive the three vaccines.

The proportion of unvaccinated adults who said they definitely would get vaccinated fell as uptake rose, from 33.2% to 9.4% for flu, and 28.2% to 14.1% for COVID-19. The decline was less for RSV vaccine, from 20.9% to 14.1%.

The percentage of unvaccinated adults who reported they probably or definitely wouldn't get vaccinated was lowest for RSV, while the proportion of those who were unvaccinated and said they probably would get vaccinated or were unsure was highest for RSV.

"Immunization programs and vaccination partners are encouraged to use these data to understand vaccination patterns and attitudes toward vaccination in their jurisdictions to guide planning, implementation, strengthening, and evaluation of vaccination activities," the researchers wrote.

Immunization rates for all vaccines was lowest among uninsured respondents, while uptake and intent to be vaccinated climbed with age and were higher among those living in urban and suburban areas than in rural areas.

Flu vaccine uptake was higher among White and Asian adults than among most other racial groups, but the proportion reporting that they probably or definitely wouldn't get vaccinated against flu was comparable among White and Black adults (both 32.2%) and lower among Hispanic respondents (24.0%).

Updated COVID-19 and RSV vaccine uptake was higher among White people than among most other racial groups, but a higher proportion of White adults said they probably or definitely wouldn't receive a COVID-19 vaccine (43.2%) than Black (31.3%) and Hispanic (34.7%) adults.

Immunization programs and vaccination partners are encouraged to use these data to understand vaccination patterns and attitudes toward vaccination in their jurisdictions to guide planning, implementation, strengthening, and evaluation of vaccination activities.

Likewise, a higher percentage of White respondents reported that they probably or definitely wouldn't get vaccinated against RSV (32.5%) than Black (15.3%) and Hispanic (19.3%) adults. Uptake of all vaccines varied by region, from 15.6% to 54.8% for flu, 2.4% to 35.6% for COVID-19, and 1.9% to 32.4% for RSV.

"Immunization programs and vaccination partners are encouraged to use CDC developed dashboards and tools, as well as other data sources available to them, such as immunization information systems, to identify undervaccinated populations and better understand vaccination patterns, attitudes and behaviors, and systemic barriers to vaccination in their jurisdiction to help tailor vaccination activities to improve coverage and health equity," the investigators wrote.

Last week in JAMA Network Open, a team led by Harvard researchers described the results of a probability-based survey of US adults conducted from July 7 to 16, 2023. The survey asked about perceptions of COVID-19 and flu vaccine effectiveness and safety, vaccination intentions, and reasons for hesitancy.

"As the viral landscape shifts, there is new urgency to understand US adults views on relevant vaccines, including whether they perceive annual vaccines similarly, or whether there are differences that may impact coadministration and communications," they wrote.

In total, 42% and 40% of adults said that COVID-19 and flu vaccines, respectively, are very effective at preventing severe illness and hospitalization. A higher proportion indicated that flu vaccines are very safe (55%), compared with 41% for COVID-19 vaccines. Nearly half (49%) said they were very likely to get vaccinated against flu, compared with 36% who said they would receive a COVID-19 shot. Findings were similar among adults aged 50 and older.

Where coadministration [of both vaccines] is offered, communications should lead with the more popular influenza vaccine, provide consistent messaging on safety and effectiveness of both vaccines, and address vaccine-specific beliefs, such as the limits of protection from prior COVID-19 infection.

Relative to flu vaccine-hesitant adults, a larger share of COVID-19 vaccinehesitant adults cited insufficient research, concerns about vaccine safety and effectiveness, the belief they were already protected through previous vaccination or infection, and distrust of government agencies and drug companies. Findings were similar among older adults.

"Where coadministration [of both vaccines] is offered, communications should lead with the more popular influenza vaccine, provide consistent messaging on safety and effectiveness of both vaccines, and address vaccine-specific beliefs, such as the limits of protection from prior COVID-19 infection," the authors wrote. "Public health agencies should also work with trusted messengers to build trust."

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Studies: More US adults roll up sleeves for flu than COVID, RSV vaccines - University of Minnesota Twin Cities

New research from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has presented significant findings regarding the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination.

The experts found that there is a substantial decrease in the risk of death from COVID-19 following vaccination. However, they also found evidence that this protective effect diminishes after six months.

Risk of death after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has fallen during the pandemic, largely due to immunity from vaccination. In England, the timing and extent of this reduction varied due to staggered eligibility during the primary vaccination campaign, based on age and clinical risk group, wrote the study authors.

Duration of protection is less well understood. Our objective was to estimate the case fatality risk (CFR) by vaccination status and time since last dose during a period of widespread community testing, to better understand the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination and duration of protection.

The researchers analyzed over 10 million COVID-19 cases in adults from May 2020 to February 2022. The team focused on case fatality risk (CFR), which is the proportion of COVID-19 cases that result in death.

This metric was cross-referenced with the vaccination status of individuals, uncovering a strong correlation between vaccination and lowered mortality rates.

Case fatality risk (CFR) has been a useful metric for observing changes in mortality during the pandemic. When testing patterns are stable, this measure can show changes in risk of death over time, highlighting groups at higher risk of severe disease or death, wrote the researchers.

A critical observation from the study is the time-sensitive nature of vaccine efficacy. The data indicates that within six months of receiving the last vaccine dose, CFR was consistently lowest across all age groups.

Beyond this six-month period, the experts observed an increase in case fatality risk, suggesting a waning protective benefit from the vaccine.

The study highlights the success of the COVID-19 vaccination program in reducing mortality rates, particularly among adults over 50. In this group, there was a sharp contrast in CFR between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.

The CFR was 10 times higher in unvaccinated adults (6.3%) compared to those vaccinated within six months of testing positive for COVID-19 (0.6%). Furthermore, the study revealed a significant decline in CFR in early 2021, coinciding with the initial vaccine rollout.

Study lead author Florence Halford from the UKHSAs COVID-19 Vaccines and Epidemiology Division emphasized the importance of these findings.

COVID-19 Case Fatality Risk reduced after vaccination, with the lowest seen across all age bands when vaccinated up to six months prior to the specimen date. This provides some evidence for continued booster doses in older age groups, said Halford.

The research offers strong evidence supporting the need for booster doses, especially in older populations.

As the protective effects of the vaccine diminish over time, regular booster doses could be crucial in maintaining low mortality rates amidst the ongoing pandemic.

The study is published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.

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COVID-19 vaccination reduces mortality risk, but only for 6 months - Earth.com

A question I commonly get from patients and friends is this: Should I get a COVID vaccine if Im pregnant or want to become pregnant?

I asked myself that same question, and the answer is yes.

My husband and I got our COVID-19 shots a few months before I got pregnant, and I got another COVID-19 shot during my pregnancy.

I am one of the hundreds of thousands of pregnant people living in the U.S. who got vaccinated around pregnancy, and I had a beautiful baby girl in February 2022.

Its natural to pause to think about a decision that affects not only yourself but also another person. I decided to get a COVID-19 booster shot when I became eligible during my second trimester. I knew that it would be beneficial to my health and the health of my newborn.

If you have questions or want to learn more about COVID-19 vaccination and pregnancy, I suggest you talk with your pediatrician or obstetrician. Youll feel better knowing that you are making an informed decision.

Here are some answers to questions Im frequently asked.

Yes. Immunization during pregnancy allows your body to create antibodies that can be passed along to protect your baby.

Infants are recommended to start receiving COVID-19 vaccination themselves at age 6 months. Until then, immunization when youre pregnant helps your immune system and your babys immune system.

We also now know that getting sick with COVID while pregnant can increase the risk of miscarriage or stillbirth. Vaccination helps protect you and your baby from the most serious outcomes of COVID illness.

Waiting to get the COVID vaccine is risky. COVID-19 immunization is effective and helps prevent serious illness or hospitalization from COVID. Vaccination also helps decrease risk of long COVID (symptoms and conditions that can last weeks, months, or years after getting COVID).

If you get COVID while you are pregnant, you can become seriously ill. Getting sick with COVID can lead to a higher risk for miscarriage, pre-term birth, stillbirth and death. More than 29,000 pregnant people have been hospitalized with COVID and hundreds have died, according to the CDC.

The benefits of the vaccine during pregnancy continue when you become new parents. I have seen some of the families I care for become so sick from COVID that they are unable to be with or care for their newborn. It is devastating. I encourage anyone who is on the fence to talk to their pediatrician or other medical experts.

COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy has been studied for years. Doctors and scientists have been monitoring pregnant people who received the vaccine, and more information confirming its benefits arrives all the time.COVID-19 vaccine safety has been monitored in tens of thousands of pregnant people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and other advisory groups continue to monitor safety.

The Vaccine Safety Datalink, the CDC and several health care organizations across the U.S. monitor and evaluate the safety of vaccines among pregnant people who choose to get vaccinated.

Thousands of people who have received COVID immunizations have gone on to get pregnant. A study of more than 2,000 females aged 21-45 years and their partners found that immunization of either partner did not affect the likelihood of becoming pregnant. And studies in men who were immunized show that sperm does not change afterwards.

Yes. You can safely breastfeed after the vaccine. We are learning that protective antibodies can pass to the baby through breastmilk. I was comforted knowing that I passed along some immunity to my daughter through breastfeeding. This is one way I protected her until she became old enough to be immunized against COVID herself.

If you received a COVID vaccine while pregnant or breastfeeding, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the COVID vaccine for your baby when they turn 6 months old. Thats because the immunity you passed to your baby from the vaccine wears off over time. Also, COVID shots are periodically updated to incorporate protection from newer strains of the virus. My husband and I got the 2023-2024 updated COVID-19 shot, and we chose it to update protection for our now nearly 2-year-old daughter as well.

Many pediatrician offices offer or will soon offer 2023-2024 updated COVID vaccines for babies, kids and teens. Contact your pediatricians office to find out the best time to schedule your childs appointment. To find COVID vaccines for adults, visit vaccines.gov.

COVID-19 vaccination is transitioning toward more traditional pathways for getting and paying for health care. Look to find a location that carries the type of COVID vaccine you are eligible for and that accepts your health insurance/coverage. There are programs to assist those who are uninsured and underinsured. Most people still should not have to pay for the vaccine.

If you have other questions about receiving the COVID vaccine while pregnant, talk to your obstetrician or pediatrician. Having a conversation with a health care professional you trust can help you make the best c hoice.

For more information, go to HealthyChildren.org.

____

Lisa M. Costello, MD, MPH, FAAP, is an Assistant Professor in the Department Pediatrics at West Virginia University (WVU) and a Pediatric Hospitalist at WVU Medicine Childrens Hospital. She is immediate past president of the West Virginia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics as well as the West Virginia State Medical Association. She is also an advisor to the WV Department of Health and Human Resources Bureau for Public Health and serves as the medical lead for the Joint Information Center within the West Virginia Joint Interagency Task Force on COVID-19 and public health matters.

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Ask the Pediatrician: COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy and breastfeeding - Chicago Tribune

A former Marine lance corporal who refused the COVID-19 vaccine and was kicked out of the service returned to her former Japan-based duty station in an apparent act of civil disobedience and was arrested by police earlier this month for alleged trespassing.

Catherine Arnett, 25, was separated from the Marine Corps after spending 113 days in pre-trial confinement awaiting court-martial for allegedly refusing orders to board a plane to the United States, among other charges that were dropped by the Marine Corps earlier this year.

According to Stars and Stripes, which first reported the arrest, Arnett was transferred from American military police to Japanese authorities on Dec. 1 after attempting to enter her former duty station, Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, at 2:30 a.m. local time. She was released from custody nearly two weeks ago, according to the publication.

Read Next: Overseas But Paying the Price: Army Ends Policy that Allowed Soldiers to Store Belongings While Deployed

Military.com spoke to Jamie Engel, who said she was Arnett's "acting secretary." Several pictures of the two posing together were posted to social media. Arnett did not respond to Military.com's inquiry via Facebook Messenger.

Engel said she had not heard from Arnett since her reported release earlier this month.

Engel's last contact with Arnett was through the American embassy in Japan around Dec. 8 when she received a letter apparently from Arnett, she said. The U.S. consulate in Fukuoka, Japan, did not respond to the publication's inquiries, and Engel declined to provide direct emails from the embassy.

"She wanted to stand on principle that everything -- her discharge everything was illegal because the basis of her even facing retaliation was because of an unlawful order," Engel said, adding that Arnett did not accept her separation orders and believed herself to remain on active duty "on principle."

Arnett originally faced an administrative separation for refusing the vaccine last year. After defying orders to board a plane at least three times, she was ordered to pre-trial confinement. The Marine Corps eventually dropped all charges against her, which included missing a military flight and disobeying an order from an officer; she received a general discharge under honorable conditions, according to Stars and Stripes.

When asked about her arrest, the Marine Corps referred Military.com's inquiries to Japanese authorities.

"Catherine Arnett was separated from the United States Marine Corps several months ago and has since had no official affiliation with the service," 1st Lt. Aaron Ellis, a spokesperson for MCAS Iwakuni, told Military.com in an emailed statement Dec. 13. "Since Catherine Arnett is a civilian and was not in military custody, we do not have any additional information."

Ellis said that all unauthorized entries of U.S. military installations in Japan are punishable under local law.

Stars and Stripes reported that Arnett was detained by military police on suspicion of violating the status of forces agreement between the U.S. and Japan.

"BRUH, like incarceration here in Japan was ONLY the natural trajectory of this entire ordeal starting in September 2021," a statement provided by Engel from Arnett began, alluding to the federal government's mandate for all of its employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Earlier this year, the Defense Department rescinded the mandate. In October, it was ordered by a Florida District Court Judge to pay $1.8 million in legal fees as settlement for two lawsuits that challenged the order, though plaintiffs did not receive any of the money, Military.com reported.

Arnett said anyone who willingly separated from the military after refusing the COVID-19 vaccine was "verifiably a coward." According to the letter, Arnett believes she was subject to "religious and intellectual persecution" for refusing the vaccine and encouraged others to "formulate their own ideations" about how to civilly disobey.

Related: Pentagon Drops COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Troops

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Marine Veteran Who Refused COVID-19 Vaccine Detained at Former Duty Station, Transferred to Japanese Authorities - Military.com

Covid cases appear to be climbing, according to Dr. Mandy Cohen, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and one particular variant seems to be fueling the virus' spread.

JN.1, as the variant is known, now accounts for around 44% of Covid casesin the U.S., up from 8% just four weeks ago, according to the CDC.

We are seeing JN.1 quickly become the dominant version of the Covid virus, which tells us it is more transmissible, Cohen said in a phone interview. The good news is we dont see an increase in severity.

The variant is also picking up steam globally. It accounted for 27% of genetic sequences submitted to a global virus database called GISAID in the week that ended Dec. 3, up from 10% in the week that ended Nov. 19.

The World Health Organization declared JN.1 a "variant of interest" Tuesday a designation that applies to variants that are driving new cases and have genetic changes that could help them spread or evade immunity.

But so far, the illness caused by JN.1 which, like all other variants that have gained dominance since early 2022, is a descendant of omicron doesn't seem any more severe than earlier Covid cases.

Neither the WHO nor the CDC collects regular data on how Covid symptoms are evolving over time, so it's hard to assess whether infections are presenting differently. However, doctors say they haven't noticed a new trend.

The symptoms of JN.1 seem to be very similar, if not the same, as others, said Dr. Molly Fleece, a hospital epidemiologist at University of Alabama at Birmingham Medicine.

Many recent Covid patients have reported sore throats as their first symptoms, often followed by congestion. The illness past hallmarks, such as a dry cough or the loss of taste or smell, have become less common, according to doctors.

Severe cases, meanwhile, are still characterized by shortness of breath, chest pain or pale, gray or blue skin, lips or nail beds an indicator of a lack of oxygen.

But on the whole, Covid symptoms are milder than they were early in the pandemic.

Fleece said JN.1 is spreading at an unfortunate time as people travel and gather indoors.

If we have a variant that is extremely easy to spread among people, thats extremely important to think about going into the holidays, she said. Just the ease of transmissibility, especially being an omicron descendant we saw how easily omicron spread throughout communities should make everyone concerned.

The WHO has warned that JN.1 could cause an uptick in Covid cases this winter and increase the burden of respiratory infections in many countries.

The variant's parent lineage, BA.2.86, has a large number of mutations compared to the original version of omicron and those changes have enabled the virus to sidestep existing immunity. Compared to BA.2.86, the JN.1 variant has an additional mutation in the spike protein that could make it even easier for the virus to invade cells.

However, the WHO said JN.1 isnt likely to pose an added public health risk compared with other circulating variants. And although the newest vaccines target a different variant called XBB.1.5 they seem to be effective against JN.1, as well.

Apreprint study found that updated mRNA shots from Moderna and Pfizer boosted antibody protection against JN.1 up to 13 times, depending on a person's history of vaccination and infection. The study hasnt been peer-reviewed, however.

The participants in that study had received four or five Covid shots before the updated vaccine, and some had recently gotten Covid. But the researchers found that antibody protection against JN.1 was still relatively low before the new vaccine was administered.

It would suggest that those people who were not recently boosted probably would not be all that well-protected against JN.1," said an author of the study, Dr. David Ho, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Columbia University.

Antibody levels against JN.1 from the updated vaccine are "quite decent," Ho added, "and should confer some degree of protection."

Just 18% of adults and 8% of children ages 6 months and up have received the new Covid vaccine since it became available in September.So Cohen urged people to stay up to date on their shots.

Thats exactly why we want folks to get the updated Covid vaccine, because it does map to the changes that were seeing in the virus," she said.

Ho acknowledged, however, that scientists expect to continue playing cat and mouse with Covid in the near future.

"We do something, and then the virus finds a solution to go elsewhere, away from our countermeasures," he said. Were chasing it the best we can, but were always a little behind.

Aria Bendix is the breaking health reporter for NBC News Digital.

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Covid symptoms caused by JN.1 variant: What to know as cases rise - NBC News

CLAIM

COVID-19 vaccines contain proteins from HIV; if you have taken the third dose, go and take a test for AIDS, then sue your government

DETAILS

Misleading: The claim misleads viewers into believing that the COVID-19 vaccines available to the public contain a HIV protein fragment, which is false. Although a vaccine candidate presented in the BBC documentary contained a HIV protein fragment, this candidate didnt make it past clinical trials. Incorrect: The claim implies that COVID-19 vaccines cause AIDS. This cannot occur, since the COVID-19 vaccines dont contain HIV, the virus responsible for causing AIDS.

KEY TAKE AWAY

The main benefit of COVID-19 vaccines is in reducing the risk of severe disease. They are also safe and the evidence indicates that they arent associated with increased all-cause mortality. Furthermore, they limit SARS-CoV-2 transmission, although their effectiveness in this regard varies depending on the SARS-CoV-2 variant and the amount of time elapsed since vaccination.

The December 2023 version of this claim appeared in a Facebook reel containing an excerpt from a BBC documentary featuring Keith Chappell, a molecular virologist at the University of Queensland, Australia.

In the excerpt, Chappell presented the concept of a molecular clamp[1] that he and his team attempted to use in a COVID-19 vaccine. The clamp is actually a tiny fragment of a protein called gp41, which is present in HIV, that researchers fused to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 in the lab. The BBC documentary explained that adding the gp41-derived molecular clamp helps to lock the spike protein into a shape best suited to activate an immune response. Thus, a vaccine using the Spike protein fused to the molecular clamp would produce an efficient immune response in the body, because the Spike protein is always presented in the shape most likely to generate an immune reaction.

The reel then cut to the question, Why was this kept fromYou?? and to a statement by virologist Luc Montagnier saying if you have taken the third dose, go and take a test for AIDS, then sue your government. Montagnier propagated disinformation against vaccines and COVID-19 on numerous occasions.

Taken together, the claim thus implied that, unbeknownst to the public, the COVID-19 vaccines administered to the public contained the HIV fragment described by Chappell and caused AIDS among the recipients. This, however, is inaccurate on several levels.

First, one fragment of a HIV protein isnt enough to cause AIDS. This is because it takes the entire HIV virus for the virus to replicate and infect and destroy the immune cells, which is what happens in the disease.

Chappells molecular clamp uses a fragment from the HIV protein called gp41 that is necessary for HIV to enter and infect the cells[2]. However, Chappells vaccine candidate doesnt contain HIV itself. Without live HIV viral particles, the vaccine cannot cause AIDS.

Second, Chappells vaccine candidate wasnt available to the general public. While the results from Phase I clinical trial showed that the vaccine elicited a strong immune response, the vaccine candidate didnt clear Phase I because it could produce false-positive HIV test results[3].

The reason for this is that the molecular clamp was derived from a HIV protein and so could confuse HIV diagnostic tests. Similar to COVID-19 diagnostic tests, HIV diagnostic tests work by detecting the presence of HIV proteins or RNA in the body. Thus, it is possible that the fragment from HIV gp41 in the vaccine could be detected by the diagnostic test and yield a positive result, even though the individual isnt infected by HIV.

The majority of people in the U.S. and EU received the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccines or adenoviral vector vaccines from AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson. None of them contain HIV proteins.

Last, the mRNA and adenoviral vaccines cited above dont cause AIDS nor any other kind of immunodeficiency, as Health Feedback documented many times. Such claims usually stem from comparison of all-cause mortality between vaccinated and unvaccinated people, without taking into account any possible differences between groups that might interfere with mortality, such as age, comorbidity, health seeking behavior, among others.

There is no evidence that people vaccinated against COVID-19 are more susceptible to other infectious diseases. Furthermore, multiple published studies showed that unvaccinated people have a higher all-cause mortality than vaccinated individuals[4-6].

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Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that nearly a quarter of all Illinois adults received the most recent annual COVID-19 vaccine. Associated Press/Sept. 13, 2023

At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a quarter of the new patients being hospitalized each week throughout Illinois were infected with the deadly respiratory disease.

This year though, that figure never climbed above 6%. It reached its highest levels in January and was last reported at 3.6%, according to Illinois Department of Public Health records.

What were increasingly expecting to see moving forward with COVID-19 is seasonal surges like we see with other illnesses like RSV and the flu, said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. But as weve learned throughout the now nearly four years since the first COVID-19 case in Illinois, its impossible to completely predict the future.

2023 Illinois COVID-19 statistics

After dipping to less than 1% of new weekly admissions for most of the summer, COVID-related hospitalizations are trickling back up. However, the cases are nowhere near the levels seen in the past.

What were also seeing is that the spectrum of illness has become more mild, though the virus itself is not going away, said Dr. Jonathan Pinsky, medical director of infection control and prevention at Endeavor Health Edward Hospital in Naperville. Before we had widespread immunity through vaccination and previous infections, it was a very serious disease for people, but now were seeing milder illness.

A new mutation of the virus the JN.1 subvariant is responsible for nearly half of all the new cases diagnosed nationally over the past week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last week. While able to spread rapidly, the new subvariant does not come with any additional risk, officials noted.

Its hopeful to believe that this will become a seasonal pattern, said Dr. Lamar Hasbrouck, head of the Cook County Department of Public Health. We do know weve moved to an annual vaccine for COVID-19 much like the flu model.

However, CDC records show less than 20% of American adults received the most recent vaccine booster that specifically targeted the Omicron strain. In Illinois, nearly a quarter of the adult population received the latest booster as of Dec. 9, CDC records show.

We have to acknowledge that all of us throughout the country have a bit of COVID fatigue, Vohra said. But one of the things we know from national data is people still value vaccines overall, and we continued our work with trusted messengers to make sure people know how to get the vaccine and the benefit it can make.

Health officials note symptoms are milder and the risk of hospitalization from infection is lower among those who are vaccinated.

But older Americans and those with underlying medical conditions remain most at risk for severe symptoms, hospitalization and even death from COVID-19.

Its holding firm in terms of risk to those groups, Hasbrouck said. Were still seeing the majority of hospitalizations in those 65 and older.

Mortality has declined significantly though.

After recording nearly 8,000 COVID-related deaths in 2022, Illinois is likely to finish 2023 with less than 2,500.

Current IDPH figures show 2,412 Illinois residents died from COVID in the weeks between Dec. 18, 2022, and Dec. 16, 2023.

Between the layers of immunity many of us have built up through vaccinations and infection, we are also fortunate to have the antiviral medications, like Paxlovid, that stop the progression of severe illness, Pinsky said.

Illinois has recorded 41,093 COVID-related deaths since the outset of the pandemic, according to CDC figures. That represents about 3.5% of all COVID deaths nationally since 2020.

When the federal COVID-19 emergency declaration ended in May, IDPH officials shifted their focus from strictly monitoring COVID-19 to all types of respiratory ailments including flu, pneumonia and RSV as well on the agencys website, dph.illinois.gov.

Part of the end of the public health emergency was a moment for all of us to take a deep breath and exhale, but continue to make sure (COVID-19) treatment gets integrated into our regular health care system, Vohra said. As we advance the most up-to-date vaccine each year, my hope is it diminishes and recedes as a public health concern.

Despite a recent uptick in COVID-19 cases throughout Illinois, public health officials say 2023 was a fairly "mild" year for the respiratory ailment that has killed more than 40,000 in Illinois since 2020. Associated Press File Photo

Data from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that nearly a quarter of all Illinois adults received the most recent annual COVID-19 vaccine. Associated Press File Photo

Despite a recent uptick in COVID-19 cases throughout Illinois, public health officials say 2023 was a fairly "mild" year for the respiratory ailment that has killed more than 40,000 in Illinois since 2020. Associated Press/Jan. 13, 2023

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