While Bobby Jr. peddles fake science, real science reinforces value of vaccine
Two articles on two new studies
Updated 2024-25 COVID vaccine cut emergency visits among
kids, study suggests
Researchers looked at data from electronic health records to
assess how well the updated vaccines, which target the Omicron JN.1 and
JN.1-derived sublineages, protected against COVID-related ED and UC visits from
August 2024 to September 2025. The test-negative, case-control study measured
the added protection provided by the 2024-25 dose in children and adolescents,
many of whom already had some immunity from prior infection, previous
vaccination, or both.
76% effectiveness against severe disease in young kids
Among children aged 9 months to 4 years, vaccine
effectiveness (VE) against COVID-associated ED/UC visits was 76% during the
first 7 to 179 days after vaccination. Protection remained stable through 299
days.
These VE estimates are similar to or higher than those
observed in adults during the same season, and they exceed that reported in
young children during the 2023-24 season. According to the authors, the higher
2024-25 estimates might be related to different infection patterns compared
with previous seasons or fewer changes in circulating variants in
2024-25.
During the 2024-25 season, hospitalization rates among US
infants aged 6 to 11 months were higher than those of all adult age-groups
except those aged 65 years and older. These findings underscore the potential
benefits of COVID-19 vaccination in eligible infants, note the authors.
In children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 years, the 2024-25
vaccines reduced the risk of an ED/UC visit by 56% during the first 7 to 179
days after vaccination. Protection declined slightly to 45% when the window was
extended from 7 to 299 days.
Strong effectiveness as federal recommendations rolled back
The authors acknowledge several limitations, including ED
and UC visits for non–COVID-related reasons, potential misclassification of
vaccination status, incomplete documentation of prior infections, and limited
ability to measure VE against hospitalization due to fewer severe cases in
children this season.
Still, the results suggest that the 2024-25 vaccines
provided meaningful additional protection for children and teens, including for
those who had background immunity. The findings come as longstanding federal
vaccine recommendations are being reconsidered and, in some cases, rolled
back. This year, under the guidance of US Health and Human Services Secretary
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a noted vaccine skeptic, the federal government removed
its recommendation that healthy pregnant women and children should receive the
COVID vaccine.
COVID-19 vaccination significantly reduces risk to
pregnant women and babies, study finds
by University
of British Columbia
edited by Sadie Harley, reviewed
by Robert Egan
Pregnant people who received a COVID-19 vaccine were far less likely to experience severe illness or deliver their babies prematurely, according to a major new UBC-led study published in JAMA.
Drawing on data from nearly 20,000 pregnancies across
Canada, the research found that vaccination was strongly associated with lower
risks of hospitalization, intensive care admission and preterm birth. These
benefits persisted as the virus evolved from the delta
variant to omicron, which has evolved into newer sublineages that
still dominate today.
"Our findings provide clear, population-level evidence
that COVID-19 vaccination protects pregnant people and their babies from
serious complications," said Dr. Deborah Money, a professor of obstetrics
and gynecology at UBC and senior author of the study. "Even as the virus
evolved, vaccination continued to offer substantial benefits for both mother
and child."
The study was conducted by the national CANCOVID-Preg
surveillance network, led by UBC researchers, and represents one of the largest
datasets on COVID-19 and pregnancy worldwide.
The findings revealed that vaccinated people were
about 60%
less likely to be hospitalized and 90% less likely to require
intensive care compared with those unvaccinated at the time of infection.
Vaccination was also linked to fewer premature births (deliveries before 37
weeks of pregnancy), reducing the risk by 20% during the delta wave and 36%
during the omicron wave.
Notably, the analysis found that people vaccinated
during pregnancy, as opposed to before pregnancy, had even lower rates of
preterm birth and stillbirth.
"There is never a bad time to be vaccinated—whether
you're currently pregnant or planning a pregnancy," said Dr. Elisabeth
McClymont, lead author and assistant professor in UBC's department of
obstetrics and gynecology. "But our data suggest there may be added
benefits to receiving the vaccine during pregnancy."
Informing maternal vaccine guidelines
The findings arrive amid evolving vaccine guidance for
pregnant people in some jurisdictions.
In the U.S., the Advisory
Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recently did not include a
specific recommendation for COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy in its
updated adult immunization schedule. Meanwhile, public health officials in
Canada and at the World Health Organization continue to recommend that pregnant
people receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
The researchers say their findings provide timely evidence
to inform ongoing policy discussions.
"The body of evidence is overwhelmingly clear: COVID-19
vaccination is safe and effective in pregnancy," said Dr. Money.
"These latest findings provide critical information for pregnant women and
their care providers and strongly support public health guidance that
recommends vaccination during pregnancy."
A pan-Canadian effort
The analysis included data from nine Canadian provinces and
one territory. Researchers used population-based health data to track outcomes
from nearly 20,000 pregnancies affected by SARS-CoV-2 between April 2021 and
December 2022.
Even after adjusting for age, body mass index, and
pre-existing conditions such as hypertension or diabetes, vaccination remained
associated with markedly lower risks of hospitalization.
Beyond COVID-19, researchers say the study underscores the
importance of including pregnant people in vaccine
research and planning for future respiratory virus outbreaks.
"Pregnancy is a unique period of vulnerability but also
of opportunity for prevention," said Dr. McClymont. "This study
reinforces how vaccination can make a real difference to maternal and newborn
health."
More information
The Role of Vaccination in Maternal and Perinatal Outcomes
Associated with COVID-19 in Pregnancy, JAMA (2025). DOI:
10.1001/jama.2025.21001
Journal information: Journal
of the American Medical Association
