Latest COVID shots are 54% effective against symptomatic infection in adults, CDC says

Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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A pharmacist gives a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot during an event hosted by the Chicago Department of Public Health at the Southwest Senior Center on September 09, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois.
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A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has determined that adults who received the updated COVID-19 vaccine were 54% less likely to get COVID-19. The new shots, that became available last year, were designed to offer better protection against recent variants of the novel coronavirus.

"Receipt of updated COVID-19 vaccine provided approximately 54% increased protection against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection compared with no receipt of updated vaccine," said the CDC in the study report, adding that the new vaccines provide "protection against JN.1 and other circulating lineages".

The CDC said Thursday that 9,000 people, who got tested for COVID-19 at CVS and Walgreens pharmacies, were observed for the study from mid-September of 2023 to January of this year to check whether or not they had received the new shot or not.

"Recent laboratory data show that the updated vaccines elicit neutralizing antibodies against emerging XBB lineages and JN.1," said the study. JN.1, a new variant of COVID, has become dominant in recent weeks, explained the CDC.

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However, given that the study spans four short months only, the results are not conclusive, and the CDC says that upcoming studies will assess how effective the shot was at preventing severe symptoms and hospitalizations.

"Additional analyses conducted at longer intervals since authorization of updated vaccines are needed for continued monitoring of expected waning and to determine how well vaccines are working to prevent severe disease," read the report.

The CDC urges everyone over 6 months to get new shots for protection against COVID and evolving variants.

Latest CDC data suggested that updated vaccination coverage has been low, with only 22% of U.S. adults and 11% children having received the new shots.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @saman_shafiq7.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: COVID vaccine: Updated shots are 54% effective for adults, CDC says