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A global outbreak of clade II mpox associated with sexual contact, disproportionately affecting gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM), has been ongoing since May 2022. Information on types of contact most associated with transmission is limited. This report used data from a multijurisdictional vaccine effectiveness case-control study of sexually active persons aged 18-49 years who identified as MSM or transgender, collected during August 2022--July 2023. Odds of mpox associated with selected types of intimate and nonintimate close contact with a person with mpox were estimated. Among 457 case-patients and 1,030 control patients who met minimum data requirements, 150 (32.8%) case-patients and 57 (5.5%) control patients reported close contact with a person with mpox and were included in this analysis. Adjusted odds of mpox were 5.4 times as high among those who reported having condomless receptive anal sex with a person with mpox, compared with participants who reported close contact with a person with mpox and no condomless receptive anal sex with that person (OR = 5.4; p = 0.031). Although the mpox vaccine is highly effective, vaccination coverage remains low; a multifaceted approach to prevention remains important and should include vaccination promotion, safer sex practices, and increasing awareness that mpox continues to circulate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 vaccination provides additional protection against severe COVID-19–associated illness and death. Since September 2023, 2023–2024 Formula monovalent XBB.1-strain COVID-19 vaccines have been recommended for use in the United States for all persons aged ≥6 months. However, SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, and since winter 2023–2024, Omicron JN.1 lineage strains of SARS-CoV-2, including the JN.1 strain and the KP.2 strain, have been widely circulating in the United States. Further, COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness is known to wane. On June 27, 2024, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccination with a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–approved or authorized vaccine for all persons aged ≥6 months. On August 22, 2024, FDA approved the 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccines by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech (based on the KP.2 strain) for use in persons aged ≥12 years and authorized these vaccines for use in children aged 6 months–11 years under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). On August 30, 2024, FDA authorized 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine by Novavax (based on the JN.1 strain) for use in persons aged ≥12 years under EUA. ACIP will continue to evaluate new evidence as it becomes available and will update recommendations as needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 remains an important public health threat, despite overall decreases in COVID-19--related severe disease since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19--associated hospitalization rates remain higher among adults aged ≥65 years relative to rates in younger adults, adolescents, and children; during October 2023--January 2024, 67% of all COVID-19--associated hospitalizations were among persons aged ≥65 years. On September 12, 2023, CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended updated (2023--2024 Formula) COVID-19 vaccination with a monovalent XBB.1.5-derived vaccine for all persons aged ≥6 months to protect against severe COVID-19--associated illness and death. Because SARS-CoV-2 continues to circulate throughout the year, and because of the increased risk for COVID-19--related severe illness in persons aged ≥65 years, the protection afforded by updated vaccines against JN.1 and other currently circulating variants, and the expected waning of vaccine-conferred protection against disease, on February 28, 2024, ACIP recommended all persons aged ≥65 years receive 1 additional dose of the updated (2023--2024 Formula) COVID-19 vaccine. Implementation of these recommendations is expected to enhance immunity that might have waned and decrease the risk for severe COVID-19--associated outcomes, including death, among persons aged ≥65 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 vaccines protect against severe COVID-19- associated outcomes, including hospitalization and death. As SARS-CoV-2 has evolved, and waning vaccine effectiveness has been noted, vaccine formulations and policies have been updated to provide continued protection against severe illness and death from COVID-19. Since September 2022, bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have been recommended in the United States, but the variants these vaccines protect against are no longer circulating widely. On September 11, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the updated (2023-2024 Formula) COVID-19 mRNA vaccines by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech for persons aged ≥12 years and authorized these vaccines for persons aged 6 months-11 years under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). On October 3, 2023, FDA authorized the updated COVID-19 vaccine by Novavax for use in persons aged ≥12 years under EUA. The updated COVID-19 vaccines include a monovalent XBB.1.5 component, which is meant to broaden vaccine-induced immunity and provide protection against currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 XBB-sublineage variants including against severe COVID-19-associated illness and death. On September 12, 2023, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended vaccination with updated COVID-19 vaccines for all persons aged ≥6 months. These recommendations will be reviewed as new evidence becomes available or new vaccines are approved and might be updated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of hospitalization among U.S. infants. Nirsevimab (Bevfortus, Sanofi and AstraZeneca) is recommended to prevent RSV-associated lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in infants. In August 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved RSVpreF vaccine (Abrysvo, Pfizer Inc.) for pregnant persons as a single dose during 32-36 completed gestational weeks (i.e., 32 weeks and zero days' through 36 weeks and 6 days' gestation) to prevent RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease in infants aged <6 months. Since October 2021, CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) RSV Vaccines Pediatric/Maternal Work Group has reviewed RSV epidemiology and evidence regarding safety, efficacy, and potential economic impact of pediatric and maternal RSV prevention products, including RSVpreF vaccine. On September 22, 2023, ACIP and CDC recommended RSVpreF vaccine using seasonal administration (i.e., during September through end of January in most of the continental United States) for pregnant persons as a one-time dose at 32-36 weeks' gestation for prevention of RSV-associated LRTI in infants aged <6 months. Either maternal RSVpreF vaccination during pregnancy or nirsevimab administration to the infant is recommended to prevent RSV-associated LRTI among infants, but both are not needed for most infants. All infants should be protected against RSV-associated LRTI through use of one of these products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on the recommendations and authorizations for the use of COVID-19 vaccines in the United States. The topics discussed include the transition to a single bivalent vaccine dose, the effectiveness of the bivalent vaccines, and the age groups and conditions for which the vaccines are recommended.

The article discusses the effectiveness of the JYNNEOS vaccine in preventing monkeypox (mpox) among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender individuals. Topics discussed include the approval of the JYNNEOS vaccine by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention of smallpox and monkeypox, the results of a matched case-control study conducted in 12 U.S. jurisdictions to evaluate the vaccine's effectiveness against monkeypox.

Four COVID-19 vaccines are currently approved for primary series vaccination in the United States under a Biologics License Application or authorized under an emergency use authorization (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and recommended for primary series vaccination by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP): 1) the 2- or 3-dose monovalent mRNA BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech, Comirnaty) COVID-19 vaccine; 2) the 2- or 3-dose monovalent mRNA mRNA-1273 (Moderna, Spikevax) COVID-19 vaccine; 3) the single-dose adenovirus vector-based Ad26.COV.S (Janssen [Johnson & Johnson]) COVID-19 vaccine; and 4) the 2-dose adjuvanted, protein subunit-based NVX-CoV2373 (Novavax) COVID-19 vaccine. The number of doses recommended is based on recipient age and immunocompromise status (1). For additional protection, FDA has amended EUAs to allow for COVID-19 booster doses in eligible persons (1). Because COVID-19 vaccines have demonstrated decreased effectiveness during the period when the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) of SARS-CoV-2 predominated, bivalent booster doses (i.e., vaccine with equal components from the ancestral and Omicron strains) were considered for the express purpose of improving protection conferred by COVID-19 vaccine booster doses (2). During September-October 2022, FDA authorized bivalent mRNA vaccines for use as a booster dose in persons aged ≥5 years who completed any FDA-approved or FDA-authorized primary series and removed EUAs for monovalent COVID-19 booster doses (1). Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna bivalent booster vaccines each contain equal amounts of spike mRNA from the ancestral and Omicron BA.4/BA.5 strains. After the EUA amendments, ACIP and CDC recommended that all persons aged ≥5 years receive 1 bivalent mRNA booster dose ≥2 months after completion of any FDA-approved or FDA-authorized monovalent primary series or monovalent booster doses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NVX-CoV2373 (Novavax) COVID-19 vaccine is a recombinant spike (rS) protein nanoparticle vaccine with Matrix-M adjuvant to protect against infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. On July 13, 2022, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Novavax vaccine for primary COVID-19 immunization of unvaccinated adults aged ≥18 years, administered as 2 doses (5 μg rS and 50 μg Matrix-M adjuvant in each dose) 3 weeks apart (1). On July 19, 2022, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) issued an interim recommendation for use of the Novavax vaccine in persons aged ≥18 years for the prevention of COVID-19.* In the per-protocol† efficacy analysis, vaccine efficacy (VE) against reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-confirmed symptomatic COVID-19 was 89.6% (95% CI = 82.4%-93.8%). The Alpha variant (B.1.1.7) of SARS-CoV-2 was the predominant circulating variant during the period of case accrual for VE assessments. Cases of myocarditis or pericarditis were reported in temporal association with vaccination, suggesting a possible causal relationship. The ACIP recommendation for the use of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine is interim and will be updated as additional information becomes available. The adjuvanted, protein subunit-based Novavax COVID-19 vaccine provides an additional option for unvaccinated adults, increasing flexibility for the public and for vaccine providers. Vaccination is important for protection against COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses on December 2020, two COVID-19 vaccines have authorized for emergency use in the United States for the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019. Topics include data on COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the United States have collected by vaccination providers and reported to CDC for multiple sources; and age has calculated based on date or year of birth and date of vaccine administration and has categorized as <18.