Bivalent Covid-19 booster doses provided additional protection against Covid-associated emergency department or urgent care encounters and hospitalisations, according to a recent report of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC recommended the use of bivalent mRNA Covid-19 booster doses in September, which contain Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 sublineage component to better protect from the newest strains,reports Xinhua news agency.
Because of waning of monovalent vaccine-conferred immunity, effectiveness of bivalent vaccines was higher with increased time since the previous monovalent dose, according to the CDC.
Vaccine effectiveness of a bivalent booster dose after previous monovalent doses against Covid-19-associated hospitalisations was 57 per cent compared with no vaccination, and 45 per cent compared with previous monovalent dose vaccinated over 11 months earlier, CDC data showed.
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Despite the promising numbers, vaccine uptake has been slim.
Only 14 per cent of eligible Americans ages 5 and older have received the Omicron-specific booster, according to a report of The Washington Post.
The CDC called on all people to stay up to date with recommended Covid-19 vaccinations, including receiving a bivalent booster dose if eligible.
