Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

Oppenheimer & Co Analyst, Hartaj Singh, recently upgraded Moderna (MRNA) shares to "Outperform," with a price target of $142 per share. News of the upgrade has caused shares of the stock to trade over 13% higher on Tuesday. Hartaj Singh joins the Live show to discuss why he upgraded the stock and take a deeper dive into Moderna's performance going forward.

Singh explains that with he expects Covid-19 demand to be bottoming, adding that "if you believe that Covid-19 vaccine sales have... hit a bottom going forward, that essentially funds their pipeline and that pipeline is very important... there are some material catalysts that are coming."

Click here to watch the full interview on the Yahoo Finance YouTube page or you can watch this full episode of Yahoo Finance Live here.

- Moderna may have seen shares slide nearly 45% in 2023, but it is kicking off the new year in positive territory. The stock surging today after Oppenheimer upgraded the stock to outperform. The move comes in part due to the biotech company's COVID-19 vaccine sales expected to rise in 2025. Joining us now is Oppenheimer analyst Hartaj Singh. Hartaj, it is good to see you. So you're a believer now, Hartaj. Moderna, you go to outperform. Your target is 142. How come, Hartaj? Explain to us why you think Moderna is now a buy at these levels?

HARTAJ SINGH: Great. Thank you, Josh and Julie. Thanks for having me. And happy new year to everyone, the best in 2024. I mean, look. When we downgraded the stock in 2021, we actually pointed to a few things that we thought were worrisome. We've been checking those boxes, especially over the last six to nine months, starting with COVID-19 vaccine revenues.

There were about 100 million shots given in the US last year and this year, looks more like 50 million. And we expect that trend to be the bottom going into 2024 and moving forward. So if you believe that COVID-19 vaccines sales have hit a bottom going forward, that essentially funds their pipeline. And that pipeline is very important to us. There are some material catalysts that are coming.

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This in 2024, more catalysts than the companies had in a while. Catalyst with RSV vaccine phase 3 in flu and next generation kind of flu vaccine using the mRNA technology. Cancer vaccines, et cetera. And then lastly, operating expenditures. Their CFO who has been in the seat for about a year and a half has clearly outlined how OpEx now going forward will be tied to sales. So we expect OpEx to go down in 2024 and 2025 and then start slowly growing as sales start growing in 2025. So you check these three boxes, and the company sets up really well, which is why we upgraded.

- Hartaj, it's Julie here. It's good to see you. Thanks for being here. I want to dig a little bit more into this idea that vaccine uptake might have seen a bottom. Now does that imply not just that it's not going to get worse? Does it also imply that we're actually going to see an increase? And if so, what would catalyze that? What would drive that?

HARTAJ SINGH: So you know, Julie, we were in the thick of COVID-19 pandemic as a team that covered Moderna in 2020. But not just Moderna. Regeneron also and Gilead, which had products to help us deal with the pandemic. And it was pretty clear to us by 2021 how politicized the issue had gotten. And that created a lot of fatigue.

There were competing stories back and forth, and that polarized people a lot. So it got away from being a health issue and to a sociopolitical issue. So you combine that vaccine fatigue with a lot of people, especially on the margins, which is the vast majority of people also with flu who get their vaccine shots.

And then secondly, we transitioned into a commercial market this year, meaning that the government wasn't just taking orders in the United States. You had to go to 300, 400 commercial payers, 50 plus state organizations, and sell to them. And both these things actually led, we believe, to the market sort of hitting this low this year.

I think that with more education, more awareness, more spending, marketing spend, we should start seeing an uptick. It happened with flu. It happens with flu all the time. As the season goes on, more people get the shot. We expect the same thing to happen with COVID-19 going forward.

- And Hartaj, you also mentioned the company's pipeline. What in that pipeline, Hartaj, should investors do you think be especially optimistic and excited about? Is it RSV? Is it is it flu, CMV?

HARTAJ SINGH: You know, it's interesting, Josh. I would say it's all of the above, and I'll tell you why. One of the things we as analysts look for when we talk about a platform company, you know, quote unquote, like a Moderna, and not every biotech is a platform company, in fact, they are very few and far between, is can the platform help the company get better clinical and regulatory success rates?

If you go to Moderna's R&D presentation for a couple of months ago, they actually have very interesting slides where they show that their clinical and regulatory success rates are actually higher than historical norms by a decent bit. So this is a company that's using the speed and the scalability of their platform, and great science, and great clinical trials to bring products to market.

So we think all those three products you've mentioned are great. I think the one in oncology is especially important because what we're going to see is not just a company that can use its mRNA technology in infectious diseases like COVID-19, like RSV, like flu, but now can go into cancer, completely different area, and have a really, really significant effect on patients' lives and especially if it gets approved earlier. We'll know this year if they can file for an early approval.

- Hartaj, finally, I want to ask you about something that doesn't have to do with drug development but rather selling the drugs. And that's that the company doesn't have a chief commercial officer right now. The person stepped down. Stephane Bancel is effectively doing that job in addition to being CEO. Is that a good thing? Is that something that's going to help Moderna? How should investors be thinking about that?

HARTAJ SINGH: Yeah. We dug around that a little bit before the holidays with the company. I've known the company since the IPO. And we spent some time talking to them. Moderna is a very high performance culture. It really is. It's a company again, like I said, I've known through the IPO. It is a company where the pedal is to the metal, which is why they got COVID-19 vaccine approved in one year. Took a much larger organization like a Pfizer to do the same thing.

So there's a very high performance culture where if you're not performing, usually there's change. So I think that's happening right now in the commercial team. I think the reason why Stephane is probably taking it over is because he understands how important this year and next year is. And he actually came from a commercial background himself, commercial and marketing.

So while they're looking for a chief commercial officer, probably take them a few months to find the right person, I think Stephane will be very much hands on to make sure that there's no hiccups on the commercial side.

- Interesting stuff. Thanks as always for your perspective. I appreciate it, Hartaj, and happy new year to you.

HARTAJ SINGH: Great. Thank you for having me.

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Oppenheimer analyst explains why he upgraded Moderna's stock - Yahoo Finance

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Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer filed notice with New York State announcing the nearly 30 percent reduction of its workforce at its Pearl River campus in Orangetown.

The cut of 285 of its 1,012 workers was necessitated by economic conditions, according to the filing. Layoffs will begin February 12th.

The Pearl River location is Pfizers primary location for its global vaccine research and development work.

Pfizers origins in Pearl River date back to 1907, when Dr. Ernst Lederle established the Pearl River site to produce antiserum to treat children with diphtheria in New York City. Since then, the facility has developed vaccines to prevent diseases like smallpox and polio, and most recently COVID-19.

In 2015, Pfizer, Inc sold the 207-acre campus for $40 million to Industrial Realty Group, LLC, a California-based real estate development and investment firm. The former IRG campus later rebranded to the Hudson Valley iCampus. Nearly 60 percent of the 2-million-square-foot mixed use, multi-tenanted campus remains vacant.

Amid the layoffs, Pfizer has also announced plans to invest $470 million to renovate its existing facilities on its original Pearl River campus site and construct a new building. The expansion is anticipated by 2026 and will add 260,000 square feet of operations, including 55,000 square feet of laboratory space. In August, a division of pharmaceutical firm Pfizer Inc. signed a renewal for its leased premises and expansion totaling more than 151,000 square feet of space at the Hudson Valley iCampus. Pfizer is calling the expansion plan Project Vitality.

According to a representative at the Hudson Valley iCampus, the space will house manufacturing, laboratory, warehouse and office functions in multiple buildings throughout the 207 acre, 2 million-square-foot campus. The combined rents have a value in excess of $16 million.

In August, Pfizer filed a lawsuit against the Town of Orangetown challenging the assessed value of its existing Pearl River holdings. Pfizer argued that its property, currently assessed at $64.6 million, should be assessed down to $3.56 million, a reduction in assessed value of 94.5 percent.

Rockland County was once a thriving hub for pharmaceutical companies. The former Novartis campus in Suffern is slated to become a warehouse distribution center. The Avon facility, also in Suffern, has been sold to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., which will be used for research, development, and cold storage.

Last month, Pfizer announced plans to shutter its campus in Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey, impacting nearly 800 jobs, according to a filing with the New Jersey Labor Department. Those layoffs will also begin in February.

Pfizer also announced plans to sell the 595,000 square-foot campus on 71 acres in Somerset County, NJ. Pfizer was the boroughs largest taxpayer.

And more job cuts are expected at Pfizers Groton, Connecticut facility, though Pfizer has yet to announce how many of the 2,600 people employed at that site will be affected by the layoffs.

These and other layoffs in Michigan, Illinois, Colorado, and North Carolina, are part of what the company is calling an enterprise-wide cost realignment program.

The cost-cutting campaign is a result of plunging demand for the companys COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty and antiviral Paxlovid as well as COVID-related inventory write-offs and $4.2 billion in lost revenue from the planned return of millions of Paxlovid doses from the U.S. government. Pfizer played a major role in developing the COVID vaccine. The Pearl River campus was a vaccine research and development hub; it did not manufacture vaccine there. In 2020, Pfizer told RCBJ it expected to manufacture up to 100 million doses by the end of 2020 and approximately 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021, subject to the final dose selection from its clinical trial.

In other news, Pfizer last year completed its acquisition of biotech giant Seagen for $43 billion. Pfizers stock, traded on the NYSE, is trading at about 50% off its 52-week high.

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Layoffs At Pearl River's Pfizer Campus And Elsewhere Signal A Reset For COVID Vaccine Maker - Rockland County Business Journal

By late 2022, widespread COVID-19 vaccination of pregnant people likely halted a spike in the preterm birth rate that began at the start of the pandemic, suggests an analysis of State of California health data funded in part by the National Institutes of Health. The authors conclude that their findings underscore the need for pregnant people to keep current on COVID-19 vaccination as a hedge against future viral mutations that may lead to outbreaks.

The study was conducted by Florencia Torche, Ph.D., of Stanford University, and Jenna Nobles, Ph.D, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. NIH funding was provided by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Previous studies have shown associations between COVID-19 during pregnancy and a higher risk for preterm birth and admission of newborns to the neonatal intensive care unit, the study authors wrote. Preterm birthbefore 37 weeks of pregnancyis the most common cause of infant death. Infants born preterm are at risk for cerebral palsy (a group of nervous system disorders that affect control of movement and posture), developmental delays, and vision and hearing problems.

To conduct the study, the researchers analyzed statewide data from California, which included information on the location of the birth facility, residential area of the people giving birth, and data on their prior births since 2014.

For people giving birth in California from July 2020 to February 2023, those with COVID-19 at the time of delivery had an 8.7% probability of giving birth preterm, compared to 7.3% for those without COVID-19. Probabilities of very preterm birth (before 32 weeks of pregnancy) also increased among pregnant people with COVID-19.

The researchers also compared the probability of pregnant people with COVID-19 giving birth preterm to their probability of preterm delivery in a different birth when they were not infected with COVID-19 (mostly before the pandemic). When they did not have COVID-19, their probability of giving birth preterm was 7.3%, compared to 8.4% when they gave birth when they had COVID-19. Dr. Torche noted that comparing births to the same mother accounts for any unobserved characteristics of the mother that could potentially influence the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

In another comparison of births to the same mother, the authors determined that maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection had the greatest effect on preterm birth in 2020, when the risk of preterm birth rose by more than 5 percentage points between July and November, from 6.9% to 12.2%. During 2021, when there were waves of infection caused by different variants, SARS-CoV-2 infection resulted in an increased probability of preterm birth by around 2 to 4 percentage points. During 2022, the impact of COVID-19 infection on preterm birth disappeared. The authors attribute the waning impact of COVID-19 to increased COVID-19 vaccination rates, improved treatments for COVID-19, natural immunity from prior exposure to SARS-CoV-2, and the spread of the Omicron variant, which caused less severe COVID-19 among pregnant people than previous variants.

The authors also classified vaccination rates according to zip code. Before May 2021 (when vaccines were first made available) the effect of COVID-19 on preterm birth was similar across zip codes. After vaccines were made available, the effect of COVID-19 on excess risk of preterm birth declined sharply in those zip codes where vaccination was highest (a vaccination rate of 70% or higher). In zip codes where vaccination rates were lowest, the higher risk of preterm birth associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection remained significantly elevated into 2022.

The similarity in the excess risk of preterm birth among mothers with COVID-19 in all zip codes before the introduction of vaccines and the later drop in the excess risk of preterm birth in areas where vaccination rates were high suggests that vaccination was largely responsible for the drop, the authors wrote. They added that their findings underscore the importance of keeping COVID-19 vaccinations current to guard against future resurgences of the virus.

Unfortunately, even if the adverse impact of COVID-19 infection on preterm birth has plummeted to zero, this adverse impact is likely to emerge again as the virus continues to evolve and mutate and as vaccine-driven immunity wanes, Dr. Torche said.

Torche, F, and Nobles, J. Vaccination, immunity, and the changing impact of COVID-19 on infant health. PNAS. 2023.

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Science Update: Widespread COVID-19 vaccination likely halted spike in preterm birth, NIH-funded analysis suggests - National Institute of Child...

Though its current evaluation of the global public health risk is low, the UN health agency cautioned that with the onset of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the new variant could increase the burden of respiratory infections in many countries, noting other diseases such as RSV, influenza and childhood pneumonia that are already on the rise.

The classification of JN.1 as a separate variant of interest (VOI) is down to its rapidly increasing spread around the globe, WHO said in an advisory issued on Tuesday.

JN.1 has been found in many countries, including India, China, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Previously JN.1 was classified and tracked as part of its parent BA.2.86 lineage, which itself is a descendant of the Omicron or B.1.1.529 variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19 disease.

In comparison with its parent lineage BA.2.86, JN.1 has an additional mutation (the L455S mutation) in the spike protein.

WHO said that based on the currently available data, the additional global public health risk posed by JN.1 is currently evaluated as low.

Despite this, with the onset of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, JN.1 could increase the burden of respiratory infections in many countries, it added.

WHO also highlighted that current vaccines continue to protect against severe disease and death from JN.1 and other circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2.

COVID-19 is not the only respiratory disease in play. Influenza, RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) and common childhood pneumonia are on the rise, according to WHO.

It advised people to take measures to prevent infections and severe disease using all available tools, including wearing a mask when in crowded, enclosed, or poorly ventilated areas, and keeping a safe distance from others.

It also urged everyone to put safety first by covering coughs and sneezes; cleaning ones hands regularly; and staying up to date with vaccinations against COVID-19 and influenza, especially if you are at a high risk of severe disease.

Additionally, people should stay home if they are sick, and to get tested if they have symptoms, or if they might have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 or influenza.

COVAX facilitated the delivery of some two billion doses of COVID vaccines globally, pictured here, a delivery of Pfizer COVID-19 in vaccines in Nepal in 2021.

Also on Tuesday, WHO announced that COVAX, the landmark multilateral mechanism for equitable global access to COVID-19 vaccines, launched in 2020, will end on 31 December 2023, as COVID-19 vaccinations shift to regular immunization programmes.

Since its launch in 2020, COVAX delivered nearly two billion doses of vaccines to 146 economies and averted an estimated 2.7 million deaths in lower-income economies.

Low- and lower middle-income economies will continue to receive COVID-19 vaccines and delivery support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance in 2024 and 2025, with 83 million doses so far requested for 2024 from 58 economies, WHO said in a statement.

COVAX was the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, the ground-breaking global collaboration to accelerate the development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines.

It was co-led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI); WHO; and the UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF).

With the rallying cry no one is safe until everyone is safe, COVAX partners urged the world to place vaccine equity at the heart of the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and for every country to have at least enough doses to protect those most at risk.

The joint efforts of all partners to ensure an equitable response to the pandemic helped protect the futures of millions of children in vulnerable communities, said Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF.

This huge and historic undertaking is something we can be collectively proud of and build on. UNICEF will continue to deliver vaccines to the world's youngest to stop the spread of all preventable diseases and build strong health systems for the future.

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COVID-19: WHO designates JN.1 'variant of interest' amid sharp rise in global spread - UN News

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Guardians of health: Navigating fall and winter viruses Welcome to San Bernardino County - San Bernardino County (.gov)

Catherine Arnett, at the time a Marine assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, speaks about her decision to refuse a COVID-19 vaccine, in this screenshot from the Echo 7 Sierra YouTube channel, Jan. 17, 2023. (Catherine Arnett)

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan A Marine veteran who refused the COVID-19 vaccine while serving in Japan and defied orders to return home was arrested this month at her former duty station.

Japanese police allege that Catherine Arnett, 25, was detained by military police after attempting to enter MCAS Iwakuni around 2:30 a.m. Dec. 1, a city police spokesman told Stars and Stripes on Tuesday. She was turned over to Iwakuni city police around 11:30 a.m. that day and released from custody last week, the spokesman said.

Arnett was returned to California in Marine Corps custody earlier this year and spent 113 days in brigs awaiting a court-martial before the Corps dropped all charges against her, set her free and administratively discharged her.

As a lance corporal at MCAS Iwakuni, Arnett refused at least three times to board aircraft bound for the U.S. and faced discharge for refusing the vaccine. She was charged separately with insubordination, missing a military flight, disobeying an officer and other offenses over her refusal to leave Japan.

Arnett, who described herself as a staunch Catholic, said the 2021 vaccine mandate from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was an unlawful order. Her case drew attention from a foundation critical of vaccines, Childrens Health Defense,founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who interviewed her on his podcast.

Another nonprofit foundation, founded by former SEAL Eddie Gallagher, in June helped raise $50,000 for Arnetts legal expenses.

Arnett did not respond to a Dec. 6 request from Stars and Stripes by Facebook Messenger and a phone call Tuesday seeking comment. In response to an email Tuesday, a woman who described herself as Arnetts secretary said Arnett was engaging in an act of civil disobedience by returning to MCAS Iwakuni.

Ms. Arnett was solely standing on the principle that since the mandate was unconstitutional from the jump, all other actions that transpired as a result were also unlawful orders, Jamie Engel said by email Friday. She arrived at the base to take the stand and drive home the concept that she refused to take her DD214 and still refuses to comply with any separation orders.

DD-214 is the official form issued to a service member upon their discharge from military service.

Military police at MCAS Iwakuni detained Arnett on suspicion of violating the status of forces agreement between Japan and the U.S., the spokesman said. Some government officials in Japan may speak to the media only on condition of anonymity.

Catherine Arnett was separated from the United States Marine Corps several months ago and has since had no official affiliation with the service, base spokesman 1st Lt. Aaron Ellis told Stars and Stripes by email on Wednesday. Since Catherine Arnett is a civilian, we do not have any additional information.

Unauthorized entries of U.S. military installations in Japan may be prosecuted by Japanese authorities, Ellissaid.

The case was referred to Japanese prosecutors, but no decision had been made as of Tuesday to prosecute Arnett, a spokesman for the Yamaguchi District Public Prosecutors Office said by phone Tuesday.

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Marine veteran who refused COVID-19 vaccine arrested in Japan - Stars and Stripes

throughout the world, disrupt the holiday season? (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP) (Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images

The World Health Organization on Tuesday classified the Covid-19 variant JN.1 as a variant of interest. Largely, the rapid global increase in its prevalence prompted this announcement. But the WHO also noted that the overall risk of this variant is low. Those statements may seem contradictory. So, what do we know about JN.1 and how concerned should we be?

First described in August and initially detected in the United States in September, JN.1 is a descendant of the variant BA.2.86. This variant, in turn, is part of the Omicron lineage. Compared to BA.2.86, JN.1 has a single mutation in the spike protein. It contains a few other mutations in non-spike components of the virus.

Although the significance of the spike protein change has not been thoroughly evaluated, JN.1 seems to exhibit a growth advantage. Just look at the numbers. JN.1 accounted for less than 0.1% of the SARS-CoV-2 viruses circulating in the U.S. at the end of October, according to the CDC. Today, that number is around 20%. Globally, the prevalence of JN.1 was estimated to be under 5% in early November. Now, the global prevalence of JN.1 is estimated to be over 25%. These increases most likely indicate that this newest variant is more transmissible than its predecessors.

Despite the emergence of multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants over the past several years, Covid-19 symptoms have varied little since the beginning of the pandemic. However, we dont know much about the specific disease severity of JN.1. One preliminary study showed no increased risk of hospitalization in older people infected with JN.1 when compared to other variants, according to the WHO. Another study showed a slightly lower risk of hospitalization in people infected with BA.2.86. More studies need to be done, But at this point, there is no evidence that JN.1 causes more severe disease.

Short answer? Yes. Several preliminary studies have shown that JN.1 may exhibit increased immune evasion properties. In other words, it can partially escape neutralization by our antibodies. Most likely, this increased immune evasion contributes to its apparent increased transmissibility. But the vaccines still work. Indeed, Moderna released data demonstrating that its latest Covid-19 vaccine, which was designed to target the XBB.1.5 variant, also neutralized BA.2.86. Presumably, this vaccine also will provide some protection against JN.1.

Currently, Covid-19 numbers in the U.S. remain low. For the week ending December 9, there were 723 deaths attributed to Covid-19. During the same week in 2022, there were 3,035 deaths. Hospitalizations are down, too. But Covid-19 has not gone away. Vaccines, against not just Covid-19 but also influenza and RSV, remain our best forms of protection against these respiratory diseases. And in this busy holiday season, its wise to consider other precautions, too. If your holiday plans include visiting friends or relatives who might be at increased risk of severe disease, such as the elderly or immunocompromised people, masking and physical distancing provide added layers of protection. The current risk of JN.1 may be low, but its certainly not zero.

A Professor of Biology at Davidson College, David Wessner teaches courses about introductory biology, microbiology, and HIV/AIDS. His research interests include viral pathogenesis. He recently co-authored Microbiology, a textbook for undergraduate biology majors, and The Cartoon Guide to Biology. He also co-curated Re/Presenting HIV/AIDS, an exhibition that featured artistic works related to HIV. Prior to joining the faculty at Davidson, David conducted research at the Navy Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He earned his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from Harvard University and his B.A. in Biology from Franklin and Marshall College.

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New Covid-19 Variant JN.1 Spreading Rapidly, But Risk Is Low, WHO Says - Forbes

Javier Rivers of Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin answers questions at a community health and wellness resource fair where 140 vaccines were administered. Doctors urge people to get vaccinated for the holiday and winter season. (Photo by Terrance Sims provided by INPOWER)

With the season for family gatherings and celebrations fast approaching, doctors advise people to get vaccinated to stay safe and healthy over the holidays and throughout the winter season.

Although the national COVID-19 public health emergency ended in May, experts warn that the virus is all but over.

Its easy to think COVIDs not around or ignore it, said Ajay Sethi, professor of Population Health Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services or DHS, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations has increased to over 400 hospitalizations this month. This is in comparison to the states all-time low of the pandemic, which occurred in July of this year with fewer than 60 people hospitalized.

Sethi emphasized the importance of everyone, especially immunocompromised people, such as the elderly and disabled, getting vaccinated this winter season, or respiratory virus season, as he calls it.

Since people will be spending more time indoors, often with others, illnesses like COVID are much more likely to spread.

Vaccinations protect against life-threatening illnesses and even death, said Dr. Heather Paradis, Milwaukee Health Department medical director. And (they) help against the spreading of the virus too, she said.

Despite this, just 10.8% of Milwaukee County residents have received at least one dose of vaccines, which is slightly lower than the rate of vaccinations for the rest of the state, according to DHS.

COVID strains are still circulating and mutating, Paradis said. But most vaccines, even if they arent the newest ones on the market, can help protect against the most recent strains.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, has reported, however, that getting the most updated vaccines will work the best against current strains of the virus.

People opting to get the vaccinations can now choose between getting the mRNA vaccine and the Novavax vaccine, which are similar to vaccines that were introduced early on in the pandemic.

Both vaccines work about the same and last an equal amount of time, Sethi said. (Learn more about the differences here.)

Doctors recommend people get vaccinated or boosted every six months. Sethi said people can wait from two to six months after a COVID infection to get boosted.

Paradis encourages people to get boosted when theyre COVID free and feeling well enough to do so. Its also safe to get flu shots and COVID vaccines at the same time, she said. And many clinics offer both.

For those holding off on getting the COVID vaccine because of the fear of potential side effects, Sethi has the following message:

The benefits of vaccinations far outweigh the disease itself.

Monday: 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesday: 1 to 4 p.m.

Wednesday: 3 to 6 p.m. Friday: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Check out Healthy MKEs updated map and list here. This site will also let you know about upcoming vaccination events where rides can be provided.

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How to stay healthy for the holidays: Stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccines - Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

The World Health Organization urges countries in South-East Asia Region to strengthen surveillance and for people to take protective measures in view of the increasing numbers of cases of respiratory diseases, including due to COVID-19 and its new sub-variant JN.1, and influenza.

The COVID-19 virus continues to evolve, change, and circulate in all countries globally. While current evidence suggests the additional public health risk posed by JN.1 is low, we must continue to track the evolution of these viruses to tailor our response. For this, countries must strengthen surveillance and sequencing, and ensure sharing of data, said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia.

WHO has classified JN.1 as a variant of interest following its rapid global spread. In recent weeks, JN.1 was reported in multiple countries, and its prevalence has been rapidly increasing globally. Considering the available, yet limited evidence, the additional public health risk posed by JN.1 is currently evaluated as low at the global level. It is anticipated that this variant may cause an increase in COVID-19 cases amid surge of infections of other viral and bacterial infections, especially in countries entering the winter season.

As people travel and gather for festivities during the holiday season, spending a lot of time together indoors where poor ventilation facilitates transmission of viruses that cause respiratory diseases, they must take protective measures and seek timely clinical care when unwell, said Dr Khetrapal Singh.

The Regional Director also emphasized on the importance of vaccination against COVID-19 and influenza, especially for people at high risk. All WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccines continue to protect against severe disease and death from all variants including JN.1, she said.

In May this year, following sustained decline in the trajectory of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths, and high levels of population immunity to SARS-CoV2, WHO declared COVID-19 no longer constituted a public health emergency of international concern.

While considerable progress has been made in establishing and strengthening a global system to detect and rapidly assess risks posed by SARS-CoV-2, testing and reporting of COVID-19 cases has decreased.

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As COVID-19 cases rise, WHO asks countries to scale up surveillance and protective measures - World Health Organization

A new variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 is rising to prominence in the U.S. as winter illness season approaches its peak: JN.1, yet another descendent of Omicron.

JN.1 was first detected in the U.S. in September but spread slowly at first. In recent weeks, however, it has accounted for a growing percentage of test samples sequenced by labs affiliated with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), surpassing 20% during the two-week period ending Dec. 9. By some projections, it will be responsible for at least half of new infections in the U.S. before December ends.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Dec. 19 declared JN.1 a variant of interest due to its "rapidly increasing spread." But the agency has not labeled JN.1 a variant of concernthat is, a new strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus with potential for increased severity; decreased vaccine effectiveness; or substantial impacts on health care delivery.

Heres what to know about JN.1.

JN.1 is closely related to BA.2.86, a fellow Omicron descendent that first popped up in the U.S. this past summer. The two variants are nearly identical, according to the CDC, except for a single difference in their spike proteins, the part of the virus that allows it to invade human cells.

The fact that JN.1 is responsible for a growing portion of infections suggests it is either more contagious or better at getting past our bodies immune defenses than previous iterations of the virus, the CDC says. But right now there is no evidence that it causes more severe disease than other viral strains, even though it may cause a bump in transmission, the CDC says. Primary symptoms are likely to be the same as those from previous variants: a sore or scratchy throat, fatigue, headache, congestion, coughing, and fever.

So far, the signs are positive. COVID-19 tests and treatments are expected to be effective against JN.1, the CDC says. And even though the latest COVID-19 booster shot was designed to target the XBB.1.5 variant, preliminary research suggests it also generates antibodies that work against JN.1, albeit fewer of them. (As ever, vaccines will not totally block JN.1 infections, but should reduce the likelihood of death and severe disease.)

In a Dec. 13 statement, WHOs expert COVID-19 vaccine advisory group recommended sticking with the current XBB.1.5 vaccines, since they seem to provide at least some cross protection.

The CDC no longer logs every single COVID-19 diagnosis in the U.S., but other indicators of disease are up. Wastewater surveillance data suggest theres a lot of COVID-19 going around, particularly in the Northeast. Hospitalizations are also on the rise, although far fewer people are being admitted than at this time last year. Death rates are currently stable, though they tend to lag slightly behind hospitalizations.

Its too soon to say whether JN.1 will cause a significant spike in cases, although its ascendance during the busy holiday travel and gathering season could fuel increased transmission. Right now, we do not know to what extent JN.1 may be contributing to these increases or possible increases through the rest of December like those seen in previous years, the CDC wrote in a Dec. 8 update on the variant.

The best defenses against JN.1and other variants of SARS-CoV-2remain getting vaccinated, masking in crowded indoor areas, and limiting exposure to people who may have been infected.

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What to Know About the JN.1 Variant of SARS-CoV-2 - TIME