| Web: | mayocliniclabs.com |
|---|---|
| Email: | mcl@mayo.edu |
| Telephone: | 800-533-1710 |
| International: | +1 855-379-3115 |
| Values are valid only on day of printing | |
| Web: | mayocliniclabs.com |
|---|---|
| Email: | mcl@mayo.edu |
| Telephone: | 800-533-1710 |
| International: | +1 855-379-3115 |
| Values are valid only on day of printing | |
A new study from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirms what Mayo Clinic and other experts have been saying: COVID-19 booster vaccinations improve protection against severe illness and hospitalization. The study examined people who had three doses of the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines, as well as whether it was a booster dose or the No. 3 dose for people who are immunocompromised.
My husband had a kidney transplant last year. The medication he takes to prevent organ rejection also suppresses his immune response, making him immunocompromised. I am concerned about the recent surge in COVID-19 cases due to the omicron variant. How can those with weakened immune systems stay safe from COVID-19?
The highly transmissible omicron variant now accounts for almost all COVID-19 cases around the world, but a subvariant ― omicron BA.2 ― has emerged that appears to be even more contagious. Cases of omicron BA.2 are limited in the U.S., but COVID-19 experts at Mayo Clinic say the number is growing, especially overseas.
"As a nation, it looks like we've kind of gotten to the peak and are now starting on the decline, but it's very uneven," explains Dr. Gregory Poland, head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "That's what's happening in the big Northeast cities, and maybe in L.A., for example. But if you look at the rest of the nation, it's not clear that they have peaked yet."
Cancer has not rested during the COVID-19 pandemic, as is evident by the number of people diagnosed with cancer since 2020. Research published by the National Institutes of Health suggests that delayed screening during the pandemic has led to thousands of deaths and made cancers more difficult to treat when they are discovered.
Mayo Clinic researchers have developed a digital historical timeline of infectious disease outbreaks and vaccines. The timeline spans the development of a smallpox vaccine in 1796 to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As COVID-19 cases surged due to the omicron variant, kids are once again facing disruption to their daily routines. That can mean abrupt changes at school, requiring them to navigate quarantines and social isolation.
