Two-dose COVID vaccine efficacy durable against severe Omicron but drops in elderly

Overall two-dose vaccine effectiveness (VE) against Omicron variant-related hospitalization or death remained above 70% for at least 6 months among adults in Hong Kong but dropped to below 62% in those aged 80 and older, necessitating a third dose, finds a case-control study published today in JAMA Network Open.

...

Getting Government To Work For Public Health

...

The strength of public health is derived from the deep connections developed with communities. When the workforce can reflect the diversity of these communities, health agencies are uniquely positioned to understand and respond to community needs.

To meet the public health challenges facing our nation, the public health system needs to operate at a high level of effectiveness. Unfortunately, in many places, it is impossible to recruit and retain a robust workforce to accomplish key goals. Within many states, the public and policymakers alike underappreciate the need for a high-quality workforce and efficiency in local governmental functions—manifest by underfunding, excessively bureaucratic structures, and inadequate administrative supportcreates a self-fulfilling prophecy of government underperformance and inefficiency.

...

Mpox is almost gone in the US, leaving lessons and mysteries in its wake | CNN The US public health emergency declaration for mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, ends Tuesday. Brenda Goodman CNN

...

Experts say the outbreak has taught the world a lot about this infection, which had only occasionally been seen outside Africa.

President Biden to end COVID-19 emergencies on May 11 WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden informed Congress on Monday that he will end the twin national emergencies for addressing COVID-19 on May 11, as most of the world has returned closer to normalcy nearly three years after they were first declared. AP NEWS

...