CDC study: COVID-19 booster shots have “significant impact” on omicron

Get a COVID-19 wakeup call doubles the protection offered by vaccines against serious diseases of the incredibly contagious omicron variant, according to the results of a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study by health care systems in 10 states, including Intermountain Healthcare in Utah.

“This is the first evidence from the United States that really shows the significant impact that booster doses have on the efficacy of the vaccine for omicron,” Dr. Eddie Stenehjem, infectious disease physician at Intermountain Healthcare, told reporters during a virtual press conference.

The results come as omicron continues to rise across Utah, fueling record numbers of cases and hospitalizations. Utah currently has the fourth-highest number of COVID-19 cases in the nation per 100,000 people, according to Data compiled by the New York Times.

Stenehjem said two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine given six months earlier were 38% effective in preventing people from seeking emergency care, increasing to more than 80% with a booster shot. There was a similar impact on preventing hospitalizations, with initial doses being 50% effective, but with a booster shot increasing to 90%.

Booster shots still have “a big impact” on people 65 or older, he said.

The study only looked at people sick enough to go to an urgent care facility or hospital during the current outbreak, he said, and excluded those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at single dose. Vaccinated people can still receive omicron, but the doctor said “the vast majority are doing well at home” and do not need treatment.

“It’s actually incredibly timely data because if you go out and get your booster shot, that booster shot will give you immediate benefit within five to seven days,” Stenehjem said, offering “very significant protection ” during a power surge that should not peak. in the state for maybe weeks.

The study was one of three the CDC highlighted during a White House briefing on COVID-19 on Friday.

“Overall, those who received a booster dose were the most protected against emergency room visits, urgent care clinic visits, and hospitalizations,” CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. using tables to detail the results.

“There are still millions of people who are eligible for a booster dose who haven’t yet received one,” Walensky said. “As we continue to deal with the Omicron variant, which now accounts for more than 99% of infections in the United States, I urge everyone who is eligible to receive their booster to get it as soon as possible.”

But many Utahns have not received the extra dose of COVID-19 vaccine recommended for anyone 12 and older by the CDC. Booster shots are available five months after two doses of the Pfizer or Modern vaccine, or two months after a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Less than 60% of all Utahns are considered fully vaccinated, which means it’s been two weeks or more since the end of their first round of vaccines. Only 39.5% of fully immunized Utahns received a booster shot, which does not have to be the same brand as the original doses.

Stenehjem hopes the study, which includes the experiences of Utahns, will increase those numbers to ease the pressure on hospitals who have been overwhelmed since last August, when the most virulent delta variant of COVID-19 was crossing the state.

“One of the challenges we had here in Utah was that we never got off our delta surge,” the doctor said. This weekend, he said Intermountain Healthcare will open 20 new hospital beds for COVID-19 patients – 20 at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray and 14 at Riverton Hospital.

On Friday, the Utah Department of Health reported a new record for hospitalizations in the state, 765. There were also 11,601 new cases and 11 additional deaths from the virus, and the seven-day rolling average positive tests is 10,818 a day, even with most Utahns being asked to skip testing because state venues can’t handle the crowds.

Stenehjem advised anyone with shortness of breath or a severe cough to seek care. But he said those with milder symptoms like the sniffles can stay home and take acetaminophen, especially if they’re young, healthy, have no other medical conditions, and are vaccinated. .

Utahns with symptoms that pose a high risk of serious illness because they are older, immunocompromised, have underlying medical conditions, or are unvaccinated should get tested for COVID-19 immediately, the doctor said, as they may be eligible for limited monoclonal antibody treatment and other available treatments.

On Friday, the state health department announced changes to risk factors considered to increase the likelihood of serious illness from COVID-19 that are used to calculate who receives treatment, including suppression of race, ethnicity and gender, and prioritization of unvaccinated people 75 and older.

The changes come later Fox News host Tucker Carlson claimed whites were losing in Utah and other states using race as a factor, although a spokesperson for the state health department said the decision to reconsider risk factors had no nothing to do with the comment.

Stenehjem said with treatments that work against omicron in short supply across the country, it’s important for Utahns to avoid contracting the virus and possibly infecting others who may be more vulnerable. Also, he said, there is no guarantee that any case will be mild.

“There are a lot of people who are hospitalized. Lots of people are in intensive care. There are still many people dying from COVID-19,” the doctor said, adding that staffing shortages caused by the outbreak are affecting healthcare systems, schools and businesses.

The study did not consider the impact of immunity to previous COVID-19 infections on preventing serious illness, Stenehjem said, adding that it might not provide much protection against omicron. He also did not address whether additional booster shots may be needed as their protection declines, he said.

Findings are based on 222,772 patient encounters at 383 emergency departments and urgent care clinics and 87,904 hospitalizations at 259 hospitals among adults 18 and older in 10 states from August 26, 2021 through January 5, 2022 .

In addition to Intermountain Healthcare in Utah, health systems in Texas, New York, Minnesota, Wisconsin, California, Oregon, Washington, Indiana, and Colorado contributed to the study. .