CDC says mpox vaccine boosters aren’t needed in the US as questions emerge around waning immunity

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“Our data shows that the antibody responses induced by the mpox vaccine are moderate to high titer after the two-dose vaccine,” said Dr. Dan Barouch, lead author of the study and director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. “After six to 12 months, those antibody titers wane quickly and go back almost to baseline levels at 12 months.” Read Full Article…

Triple antibody therapy shows promise for long-lasting HIV control

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“Overall, our study showed that three anti-HIV antibodies with significant breadth of neutralization were actually able to maintain virological suppression in the absence of ART at least during the dosing period in a majority of the participants,” said co-corresponding author Boris Juelg, MD, Ph.D., a principal investigator at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard.

“In a smaller subset, this control was maintained up to week 44 even when the antibodies had reached very low levels in the blood. Future studies are now needed to determine the exact mechanisms of control and how long it can last.”

“Our data shows that broadly neutralizing antibodies may offer a new treatment strategy for HIV,” said Barouch, who is also the William Bosworth Castle Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Read Full Article…

 

Covid tied to higher risk of depression, anxiety, PTSD and other conditions, with the unvaccinated most affected, study shows

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But the new data may not reflect the current climate, said Dr. Dan Barouch, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, who was not involved in the research.

“It’s a study that only looks at individuals in 2020 and 2021, in the early pre-Omicron days of the pandemic. So the applicability of these data to the current epidemic is not clear, because in 2024, we have a much higher level of population immunity; most people have been infected or vaccinated multiple times,” Barouch said.

“It’s a very different population now than it was in 2020 and 2021. So while this paper is interesting and important, it really reflects a population at a different time in the pandemic, when people’s baseline immunity was very different,” he said. “It really is not clear the extent to which these data are applicable to the current epidemic we have in 2024.” Read Full Article

Could the New Mpox Threat Cause Significant Harm in the U.S.?

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Dr. Dan Barouch, a Harvard Medical School virologist, said it was likely the U.S. would see clade I cases. “The absolute risk in the U.S. is currently low,” he said. “Although we need to remain vigilant.” Read Full Article

Twice-yearly shot proves successful at preventing HIV infection among women, trial data shows

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The finding of lenacapavir having 100% efficacy for HIV prevention in women “is an important advance for the field, and I think that the field will welcome it as an additional prevention option,” said Dr. Dan Barouch, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

“But I do think it’s important to realize that these data are only in prevention in young women. There is another study that’s still ongoing, that hasn’t been read out yet, in men,” he said. “So, we await more data to learn about the prevention efficacy in men as well.” Read Full Article

How Long Is Covid Contagious?

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention once advised
five days of isolation after a positive Covid test, followed by five days of masking when out in public. That is still a reasonable approach, Dr. Barouch said. “It’s believed that after about five days, then contagiousness goes down substantially,” he said, though that, “doesn’t necessarily mean every single person on day six would not be contagious.” Read Full Article

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Why are people getting COVID again this summer? What to know about variants, symptoms, and more.

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“COVID is going to stay with us probably forever,” said Dr. Dan Barouch, who runs the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. “We need to be vigilant, but we don’t panic.” Read Full Article…

Covid’s Summer wave surges on as Biden tests positive

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“It shouldn’t be a surprise that there are upticks in infection,” added Dr. Dan Barouch, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. “I think it’s a combination of the hot weather leading to people congregating indoors in air-conditioned areas, as well as new variants.” Read Full Article…

Covid on The Rise Again in Dozens of States

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Health authorities say Covid cases are on the rise around the nation, with 15 states reporting high levels of the virus in wastewater. While the severity of the disease is lessening overall, the elderly and immunocompromised are still at higher risk. NBC News’ Erin McLaughlin reports.

The Covid Summer Wave is Here

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Several variants are likely to be contributing to the nationwide trend, said Dr. Dan Barouch, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

“We’re seeing the start of an uptick of infections that is coincident with new variants that are developing: KP.2 and KP.3 and LB.1. It does appear that those variants do have an advantage over the prior ones,” he said. “It’s sort of the newest kid on the block,” Barouch said. “There’s not much known about it.” Read more…