COVID-19 Vaccines 2023

COVID-19 Vaccines April 2023

Innovative vaccine platforms such as DNA, mRNA, virus-like particles, viral vector, recombinant proteins, and live attenuated and inactivated virus approaches have developed COVID-19 vaccines. On March 28, 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization revised its COVID-19 vaccination roadmap, prioritizing vaccine use to reflect the impact of Omicron and high population-level immunity due to infection and vaccination.

HIPRA's COVID-19 bivalent adjuvanted vaccine, BIMERVAX®, was approved as a booster dose in people aged 16 years and older who have been vaccinated with a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. On March 31, 2023, the European Medicines Agency updated an overview of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized in Europe.

On August 23, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Authorized the Approved various versions of the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA Comirnaty vaccine. It also has Approved the SpikeVax from Moderna, Inc., and the Jcovden vaccine was Authorized as of June 2022. In addition, on July 13, 2022, the FDA authorized Novavax's protein-based COVID-19 vaccine.

The FDA published an article on January 13, 2023: Identify Preliminary COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Signal for Persons 65 Years and Older. And on January 26, 2023, the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee is reviewing this Briefing Document. And the FDA announced on April 18, 2023, a simplification of the Use of Bivalent mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines.

An Original Investigation conducted by researchers from the U.S. CDC VISION Network and published by The JAMA Network Open on March 15, 2023,  found vaccine effectiveness of three doses of the monovalent mRNA COVID-19 against hospitalization was 68% for up to 4 months but then decreased to 36% during the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 era.

And Intensive care unit admission or death occurred in 21.4% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients during the BA.1 period but only 14.7% during BA.4 and BA.5 (0.17).

Data reported in January 2023 indicates that about 13 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered globally, with 89% of health workers and 81% of older adults (over 60 years) having completed the primary two-dose series. 

Furthermore, the U.K.'s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation confirmed that after February 12, 2023, the U.K. had reduced access to COVID-19 vaccine booster doses. In addition, in late February 2023, France announced reduced access to COVID-19 vaccines.

COVID-19 Vaccine Availability 2023

Available U.S. data indicates that more than two-thirds of adult COVID-19 vaccinations during 2022-2023 were administered at pharmacies.

COVID-19 Vaccine Studies 2023

Additional vaccine news is published at PrecisionVaccinations.com/vaccines.

COVID-19 Vaccine Immune Imprinting

On April 14, 2023, the WHO announced there is in vitro evidence showing that immune imprinting occurs with repeated exposure to the same antigen. Studies have indicated immune imprinting is a result of COVID-19 vaccination.

COVID-19 Antivirals 2023

The U.S. FDA and EMA have Approved and Authorized various antivirals (oral and IV) to treat COVID-19 infections. 

SARS-CoV-2 9 Monoclonal Antibody 2023

The U.S. FDA and the EMA authorized monoclonal antibody therapies during the COVID-19 pandemic.