Publications by authors named "Leora Feldstein"
During 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended the first respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunizations intended for widespread use in the United States to prevent severe RSV illness in infants and older adults. CDC, in collaboration with federal, public health, and academic partners, is conducting evaluations of real-world effectiveness of recommended RSV immunization products in the United States. Similar frameworks for evaluation are being applied to RSV vaccines and nirsevimab, a long-acting preventative monoclonal antibody, to estimate product effectiveness.
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- A study was conducted from September 2022 to April 2023 to evaluate how COVID-19 vaccines affect the risk of infection in children under 5 years old.
- The results showed no significant difference in infection risk between vaccinated and unvaccinated children.
- Although the vaccines are effective in preventing severe illness, they may not prevent the actual infection of the virus in young kids.
Risk of Clade II Mpox Associated with Intimate and Nonintimate Close Contact Among Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender Adults - United States, August 2022-July 2023.
MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep
October 2024
Article Synopsis
- A global outbreak of clade II mpox has been primarily affecting gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) since May 2022, with limited understanding of transmission routes.
- A study analyzed 457 case-patients and 1,030 control patients (aged 18-49) to estimate the odds of mpox transmission based on different types of close contact; results showed that those engaging in condomless receptive anal sex had a 5.4 times higher odds of contracting mpox.
- Despite the effectiveness of the mpox vaccine, vaccination rates are low, highlighting the need for a comprehensive prevention strategy that includes vaccination promotion and safer sex practices.
Article Synopsis
- The study evaluated the effectiveness of two COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer BNT162b2 and Johnson & Johnson Ad26.COV2.S) in preventing hospitalizations in South African adults during different SARS-CoV-2 variants.
- It included 925 cases (hospitalized) and 1890 controls (not hospitalized), analyzing their vaccination status and disease outcomes from June 2021 to March 2022.
- Results showed that BNT162b2 had high effectiveness against hospitalizations during the Delta variant wave, particularly in older and HIV-uninfected adults, while the effectiveness of Ad26.COV2.S was inconclusive.
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on COVID-19 mitigation measures in workplaces where U.S. blood donors are employed, analyzing how these measures differ by industry and work arrangement.
- Data was collected from over 53,000 respondents between May and December 2021, revealing varied implementation of measures like ventilation upgrades (20% overall), telework access (53% overall), and mask requirements (84% overall), with fewer measures reported by independent workers.
- The findings suggest that mitigation strategies should be customized for specific industries and job types, as a uniform approach may not effectively address unique workplace challenges related to disease transmission.
Article Synopsis
- - The study investigates the prevalence of long-term health symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection, addressing the gap of previous research that lacked control groups uninfected by the virus.
- - Conducted among American Red Cross blood donors, the cross-sectional study involved surveys and serologic testing to assess new symptoms from March 2020 onwards, focusing on neurological, gastrointestinal, respiratory, cardiac, and mental health issues.
- - Results showed that 43.3% of individuals with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection reported new long-term symptoms, significantly higher than the 22.1% in those without such a history, suggesting a strong link between COVID-19 and the development of these symptoms.
Among adults at risk for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the lowest hospitalization rate was among those who received nirmatrelvir-ritonavir after 3 or more messenger RNA vaccine doses (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.22; 95% confidence interval, .19-.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Since March 2020, Hispanic and Black/African American persons have made up a disproportionate number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. However, little is known about whether the prevalence of postacute sequelae or post-COVID conditions differs by race/ethnicity.
Methods: This study used cross-sectional survey data collected by Porter Novelli Public Services to determine the prevalence of ≥1 ongoing symptom lasting ≥4 weeks by SARS-CoV-2 test status and racial/ethnic groups among 2,890 adults in the U.
Article Synopsis
- * Limited data exists regarding the effectiveness of these vaccines, prompting the need for this research to understand their impact on this age group and inform vaccination strategies.
- * The analysis involved testing nasal swabs for the virus and comparing infection rates between vaccinated participants and those who were unvaccinated or had received only monovalent vaccine doses, while controlling for various demographic and health factors.
We assessed serum neutralization of Omicron BA.5 in children following SARS-CoV-2 infection during the Delta or Omicron BA.1/BA.
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- - The study evaluated the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Zambia from May 2021 to March 2022, focusing on those with a complete vaccination schedule.
- - Researchers included 1,767 HCWs, with 282 fully vaccinated participants, and found that vaccine effectiveness (VE) was 72.7% overall, and higher during the Delta variant period (79.4%) compared to the Omicron period (37.5%).
- - The findings concluded that COVID-19 vaccines were effective in reducing symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 cases when the Delta variant was prevalent, but were less effective during the Omicron variant period.
Article Synopsis
- The study examines how work as a social determinant affects COVID-19 infection rates across different industries, noting that previous analyses have been limited and mostly self-reported.
- From May to December 2021, researchers analyzed blood samples and conducted surveys on 57,726 donors, finding a 12% seroprevalence of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, with the highest rates in sectors like Accommodation & Food Services and Mining.
- The findings highlight that certain industries were more severely impacted by COVID-19, suggesting the need for tailored public health strategies to address health disparities related to workplace environments.
Introduction: Although SARS-CoV-2 vaccines were first approved under Emergency Use Authorization by the Food and Drug Administration in late 2020 for adults, authorisation for young children 6 months to <5 years of age did not occur until 2022. These authorisations were based on clinical trials, understanding real-world vaccine effectiveness (VE) in the setting of emerging variants is critical. The primary goal of this study is to evaluate SARS-CoV-2 VE against infection among children aged >6 months and adults aged <50 years.
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- Over 30,000 monkeypox cases were reported in the U.S. by March 31, 2023, with the outbreak mainly affecting gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals.
- The FDA approved the JYNNEOS vaccine in 2019 for smallpox and monkeypox prevention, and in August 2022, allowed a new injection method to increase vaccine access.
- A study showed that JYNNEOS vaccine effectiveness was 75.2% for partial vaccination and 85.9% for full vaccination among men who have sex with men and transgender individuals aged 18-49.
Article Synopsis
- - Over 30,000 cases of mpox were reported in the U.S. by March 2023, primarily affecting transgender individuals and men who have sex with men, with the JYNNEOS vaccine available for preventing the infection.
- - A case-control study analyzed the effectiveness of the JYNNEOS vaccine using data from a large electronic health record database, comparing vaccinated patients who contracted mpox to those who did not.
- - Results showed that full vaccination with JYNNEOS had an estimated effectiveness of 66%, while partial vaccination had an effectiveness of 35.8%, indicating that vaccinated individuals were less likely to contract mpox compared to unvaccinated individuals.
Article Synopsis
- The study examined the effectiveness of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 infections by measuring serological responses in participants from U.S. healthcare systems between March and October 2021.
- The estimated vaccine effectiveness (VE) was high, at 88.8%, with specific values of 87.8% for BioNTech and 91.7% for Moderna, indicating strong protection against seroconversion.
- It was found that VE decreased over time, particularly more than three months after the second dose, and was lower in older individuals or those with pre-existing health conditions.
Article Synopsis
- * A nationwide survey of 4,510 U.S. adults revealed that those who tested positive for COVID-19 had a higher likelihood of reporting long-term symptoms, with no significant difference between those with and without disabilities.
- * However, adults with disabilities who tested positive utilized health care services for ongoing symptoms more than those without disabilities (40% vs. 18%).
In a cohort of essential workers in the United States previously infected with SARS-CoV-2, risk factors for reinfection included being unvaccinated, infrequent mask use, time since first infection, and being non-Hispanic Black. Protecting workers from reinfection requires a multipronged approach including up-to-date vaccination, mask use as recommended, and reduction in underlying health disparities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) supports international partners in introducing vaccines, including those against SARS-CoV-2 virus. CDC contributes to the development of global technical tools, guidance, and policy for COVID-19 vaccination and has established its COVID-19 International Vaccine Implementation and Evaluation (CIVIE) program. CIVIE supports ministries of health and their partner organizations in developing or strengthening their national capacities for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of COVID-19 vaccination programs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAs of October 28, 2022, a total of 28,244* monkeypox (mpox) cases have been reported in the United States during an outbreak that has disproportionately affected gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) (1). JYNNEOS vaccine (Modified Vaccinia Ankara vaccine, Bavarian Nordic), administered subcutaneously as a 2-dose (0.5 mL per dose) series (with doses administered 4 weeks apart), was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2019 to prevent smallpox and mpox disease (2); an FDA Emergency Use Authorization issued on August 9, 2022, authorized intradermal administration of 0.
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