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There is “no evidence right now” that healthy children and adolescents need booster doses of coronavirus vaccines, the World Health Organization’s chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said Tuesday. The comments at a news conference come as global vaccine distribution remains inequitable, with many in lower-income countries still not having received even a first dose. The WHO has criticized countries trying to “boost their way out of the pandemic,” warning this diverts vaccine supplies. (Pietsch and Francis, 1/19)

Today a study from Germany published in Science shows three doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine raised antibody levels against the highly transmissible Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant. The study was based on sera from 51 participants, which was challenged with Wuhan, Beta, Delta, or Omicron pseudoviruses. The participants had received either two or three doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Though neutralizing antibodies are just one measure of vaccine effect and don't demonstrate effectiveness per se, the authors say they can be strongly predictive of the degree of immune protection against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. (1/18)

The heart has played a central role in COVID-19 since the beginning. Cardiovascular conditions are among the highest risk factors for hospitalization. A significant number of patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 infections have signs of heart damage, and many recover from infection with lasting cardiovascular injury. It’s not surprising that debates over COVID-19 vaccines frequently centre around issues involving cardiovascular health. The high-profile collapse of Danish soccer player Christian Eriksen in June initiated a myth about the link between sudden cardiac death and vaccination among athletes that persists several months later. (Pyle and Huang, 1/18)

Two months after Pfizer’s Covid vaccine was authorized for children ages 5 to 11, just 27% have received at least one shot, according to Jan. 12 CDC data. Only 18%, or 5 million kids, have both doses, Kaiser Health News reported. In Georgia, as well as other Southern states, the percentages are even lower. Just 16.1 percent of the 5-to-11 age group in Georgia have had at least one shot, and 8.7 percent have received both doses. Only Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Wyoming have lower rates of fully vaccinated kids in this age group, according to a KHN analysis. “That’s very, very disappointing,’’ said Dr. Hugo Scornik, a Conyers pediatrician who is president of the Georgia chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “Getting vaccinated is the best way to keep your child out of the hospital.” (Pradhan, Recht and Miller, 1/18)

Albert Bourla, chairman and chief executive of global pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc., was awarded on Wednesday the prestigious Genesis Prize for his efforts in leading the development of a COVID-19 vaccine. The $1 million award is granted each year to a person for their professional achievements, contributions to humanity and commitment to Jewish values. The Genesis Prize Foundation said Bourla had received the largest number of votes in an online campaign in which some 200,000 people in 71 countries participated. (Federman, 1/19)