The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just released the first report on the latest COVID-19 vaccine’s effectiveness, and it’s encouraging. The scientists say the shot, which became available last fall and targets the XBB.1.5 variant, is 54% effective in protecting against symptoms of COVID-19. That’s especially reassuring given that the study was conducted from September 2023 to mid-January 2024, during which not only XBB.1.5, but a new variant, JN.1, started circulating. The researchers plan to release more data on how the vaccine is affecting visits to the emergency room and urgent care centers, as well as hospitalizations from COVID-19.
The CDC hopes the results prompt more people to get vaccinated; only 21% of adults over age 18 and 41% of people over 65 have gotten the vaccine.
