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CDC data shows that the effectiveness of bivalent booster protection against hospitalization has significantly decreased to almost zero.

Protection against hospitalization from bivalent COVID-19 ‌vaccines quickly dropped over time,‍ according to U.S. Centers for Disease​ Control and Prevention (CDC) data presented on Sept. 12.

For adults aged 18 to 64 with healthy immune systems, the protection from ‌the old monovalent shots was just 15 percent, ⁤according to data from the CDC’s VISION network.

A bivalent ⁢shot increased the protection to 61 percent but‌ that shielding fell to 15 percent between 60 and 119 days and to negative one ⁣percent beyond 120 ‌days, CDC researchers found.

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The protection held up slightly better among immunocompetent people aged 65 and older. In that population, the⁣ protection started at 67⁢ percent before dropping to 53 percent in the middle time ​period and 28 ⁣percent beyond 120 days.

The numbers were from September⁢ 2022 through August 2023. They were presented (pdf) to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

For adults with one or more⁢ conditions that have compromised their ​immune systems, the protection from a bivalent shot‌ against⁤ hospitalization started at 31 percent. It increased to 40 percent between 60 and 119 days.⁤ It dropped to 12 percent⁤ beyond 120 ⁢days.

The VISION network comprises ​sites in 11 states with clinical, laboratory, ​and vaccination records. The sites include‍ the Regenstrief Institute in ⁢Indiana and the University of Colorado, Denver.

Other Numbers

Data from another CDC-run network, the Investigating Respiratory Viruses in⁤ the Acutely Ill (IVY), also showed protection from the bivalent shots ​against hospitalization quickly waned.

Among immunocompetent adults aged 18 to 64, the protection⁣ from‍ the old doses was just 20 percent. A bivalent ‍booster increased⁢ that to 43 percent, but beyond ⁣90 days the shielding dropped to 17 percent.

For immunocompetent adults aged 65 and older, the protection from monovalent doses⁤ was registered at just⁢ 1 percent. A bivalent booster upped the protection‌ to 53 percent, but the protection plummeted to ​10 percent beyond 90 days.

The⁢ protection remained‍ higher in immunocompromised adults, starting at 55 percent initially after a bivalent and ⁢hitting 43 percent beyond 90 days.

The numbers were for Sept. 8, 2022, to ⁤May 31, ​2023.

The IVY network ⁤ features 25 sites, including the University of Miami ‌Medical Center ‍and the Cleveland Clinic.

VISION data for young⁣ children, meanwhile, found that the protection from⁣ the old shots against‍ emergency‍ room and urgent care⁣ visits⁤ dropped ⁤to 24⁣ percent ⁢beyond⁣ 60 days of a Moderna vaccination and 16 ⁢percent beyond 60 days of a‍ Pfizer vaccination.

A bivalent dose⁣ increased the protection to 61 percent after 14 days. ⁣No longer-term data were ⁤provided for the ⁣children, who were aged 6 months to 5 years.

Those numbers ⁤were ⁣for Dec. 24, ​2022, to June 17, 2023.

The effectiveness estimates ⁢showed waning,⁣ the CDC’s Dr. Ruth Link-Gelles said, but should be interpreted as finding‌ an “incremental ​benefit” in a population “with a ‌high prevalence ‍of infection-induced immunity.” She also said pointed to low bivalent⁢ uptake among younger adults and that confidence intervals were wide ⁤for some of the estimates.

“The vast majority of persons of all​ ages have ⁢had ‍COVID infection but having an updated COVID vaccine provides additional protection,” Dr. Sarah⁢ Long, ​a CDC adviser, said after ⁤hearing the presentation.

CDC data presented at​ the last Advisory ‍Committee on Immunization Practices estimated protection from the bivalent shots turned negative over time.

New Vaccines

The bivalent shots were cleared and recommended by the CDC‍ in ‌the fall of 2022, based on animal testing. The ​shots later replaced⁣ the original shots, which targeted the Wuhan strain.

The bivalent vaccines contain‌ components of the Wuhan and Omicron variants.

Tuesday’s meeting was arranged for CDC advisers to discuss which populations should receive the ​next round of‌ shots, which were ⁢ approved and authorized by the‌ U.S. Food and Drug Administration⁢ (FDA) on Monday.

The FDA decides whether to clear vaccines while the‌ CDC determines which populations should receive ⁢them.

The FDA​ said in memorandums detailing the decision‌ that “there appears to be an inverse relationship between the time since vaccination and vaccine‍ effectiveness, such that bivalent COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against Omicron sublineages appears⁤ to wane over time.”

The new shots target XBB.1.5, an Omicron‍ subvariant. That subvariant has already been largely displaced by other strains such ​as EG.5. ‍FDA officials said they believed the shots would be effective based on studies of ea


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