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Habang angoriginal Omicron variant's spread might have fallen significantly in the U.S. over the past few months, it hasn't exactly vanished. At least four Omicron subvariants are circulating around the country right now, according to New York Magazine: BA.2, BA.2.12.1, BA.4, and BA.5. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the dominant subvariant right now is BA.2, but BA.2.12.1 is quickly gaining its own foothold as cases climb. In just the last week, infections have increased by more than 30 percent in the U.S., according to the CDC. But two recent studies have given new insight into how protected you are from Omicron and its subvariants. Read on to find out more about the latest research.

Basahin ito sa susunod:Dr. Fauci Just Gave This New Warning to All Americans—Even the Boosted.

Even as other mitigation measures have been stripped back, officials across the U.S. are still pushing one major form of defense against Omicron and its subvariants: COVID vaccines. "COVID-19 vaccines remain the best public health measure to protect people from COVID-19 and reduce the likelihood of new variants emerging," the CDC says. "This includes primary series, booster shots, and additional doses for those who need them."

Anyone over the age of 12 is eligible for at least three COVID shots (with two initial mRNA shots and a booster), while the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just authorized a second booster for adults 50 years and older who had their initial booster shot at least four months prior. Since immunity gained from the vaccines wanes over time, at least one booster is required for you to be considered up-to-date on your COVID vaccines, according to the CDC.

"The booster shot is effective at preventing severe disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19, including the Omicron variant," Daniel Varga, MD, Hackensack Meridian Health's chief physician executive, confirmed during the height of the original Omicron's surge in late Jan. 2022. "While we have seen more breakthrough infections with Omicron, we're seeing that the booster dose definitely influences the severity of the infection."

While vaccines and boosters are important tools against COVID, some people may be even more protected through other means. Two new studies show that a breakthrough infection might be more effective at keeping vaccinated people safe than a second booster shot, Fortune reported.

The first study, which was preprinted April 1 on the bioRxiv server, comes from the German partner behind the Pfizer vaccine, BioNTech SE. According to the study, vaccinated individuals who had breakthrough Omicron cases showed a better B-cell response than those who were boosted but had not been infected. B cells are a type of white blood cell that help your immune system create antibodies in order to fight off infection, Verywell Health explains.

For the other study, researchers from the University of Washington compared blood samples of those who had been vaccinated and then had a Delta or Omicron infection with the following groups: those who had been infected first and then vaccinated, those who had been vaccinated but never infected, and those who had been infected but never vaccinated. According to the study, which was preprinted May 10 on bioRxiv, vaccinated people with breakthrough Omicron cases produced the most protective antibodies against other variants of the virus.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb

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These two studies indicate that the millions of vaccinated people who were infected with the Omicron will likely not become severely sick from another variant any time soon, Bloomberg reported. "We should think about breakthrough infections as essentially equivalent to another dose of vaccine,"John Wherry, PhD, a professor and director of the Institute for Immunology at the University of Pennsylvania who wasn't involved in either study but reviewed the BioNTech study, told the news outlet.

Ayon kay Wherry, nangangahulugan ito kung mayroon kang Covid kamakailan, maaari kang maghintay bago makakuha ng isa pang shot ng booster - kahit na karapat -dapat ka na makuha ito. Sinabi ng iba pang mga mananaliksik na ang mga pag -aaral na ito ay nagpapakita na ang Estados Unidos ay potensyal na kailangang baguhin ang mga pagsisikap sa pagbabakuna. "Siguro ito ay isang pahiwatig na ang isang na -update na booster ay maaaring maging isang magandang ideya,"Theodora Hatziioannou, PhD, isang virologist sa Rockefeller University, sinabi sa Bloomberg.

Ang CDCNai -update ang patnubay ng bakuna nito Noong Mayo 13, ang pagbabago ng mga rekomendasyon nito upang payuhan ngayon ang ilang mga tao na isaalang -alang ang paghihintay para sa isang pangalawang tagasunod. Sa isang bagong seksyon na may pamagat na "Kung Kwalipikado ka, maghintay ka ba?" Sinasabi ng ahensya na ang mga karapat -dapat na tao na nagkaroon ng covid sa loob ng nakaraang tatlong buwan ay maaaring maghintay upang makakuha ng isang ika -apat na dosis. Dapat mo ring isaalang -alang ang paghihintay para sa karagdagang booster na ito kung sa palagay mo na ang pagkuha nito ngayon ay gagawing mas malamang na nais mong makakuha ng isa pang booster sa hinaharap, ayon sa CDC.

"Ang isang pangalawang booster ay maaaring maging mas mahalaga sa taglagas ng 2022, o kung ang isang bagong bakuna para sa isang hinaharap na Covid-19 variant ay magagamit," sabi ng CDC ngayon. Habang ang ahensya ay hindi detalyado kung bakit maaaring maging mas mahalaga ang labis na dosis sa susunod na taon, maraming mga eksperto kasama ang White House Covid AdviserAnthony Fauci, MD, nagbabala na maaaring makita ng Estados UnidosAng isa pang pangunahing pagsulong ng Covid sa taglagas.

Basahin ito sa susunod:Hindi ka protektahan ng mga boosters laban kay Omicron kung nagawa mo na ito, hahanapin ang pag -aaral.