The "Mother's Day Study": COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines 23% Effectiveness Against the JN.1 Variant, More Doses Equals More COVID19 Risk

If you love her, send your mother this Popular Rationalism article. Tell her Dr. Jack from IPAK says "Happy Mother's Day!" If you're a mom, Happy Mother's Day to you, too!

A recent study conducted by researchers at the Cleveland Clinic has shed light on the performance of the 2023-2024 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine against the JN.1 lineage of SARS-CoV-2, a dominant strain during the study period. Their new findings should be considered crucial data and implications for public health.

Study Overview

The Cleveland Clinic employed its substantial workforce as a cohort to assess the vaccine's effectiveness. Including 47,561 employees, the study followed the cumulative incidence of COVID-19 prospectively, adjusting the analysis for factors such as age, sex, pandemic phase, and the propensity to get tested. The key tool of analysis was Cox proportional hazards regression, treating vaccination as a time-dependent covariate.

Vaccine Effectiveness

During the 16-week study period, COVID-19 was confirmed in 838 of the participants, representing a prevalence rate of approximately 1.8%. The primary outcome of interest, the effectiveness of the 2023-2024 vaccine formulation, was measured by its ability to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19. The results indicate that the vaccine's effectiveness was 23%, with a 95% confidence interval of 6% to 38%, and a statistically significant p-value of .01.

Risk of COVID-19 Associated with Prior Vaccine Doses

A particularly intriguing aspect of the study was the analysis of risk associated with the number of prior vaccine doses received. Here’s a breakdown of the findings:

0 or 1 Prior Dose: Served as the baseline group for comparison.

2 Prior Doses: Hazard ratio (HR) of 1.46 (95% confidence interval [C.I.], 1.12-1.90; p < .005), indicating a 46% increased risk compared to the baseline.

3 Prior Doses: HR of 1.95 (95% C.I., 1.51-2.52; p < .001), showing a 95% increased risk.

More than 3 Prior Doses: HR of 2.51 (95% C.I., 1.91-3.31; p < .001), revealing a 151% increased risk.

These findings suggest that the risk of contracting COVID-19 is increased with the number of prior vaccine doses beyond the first one, highlighting complex interactions between vaccination history and susceptibility to the virus.

Ethical Compliance and Funding

The study adhered to all necessary ethical guidelines, with approval from the Institutional Review Board of Cleveland Clinic. Importantly, no external funding was reported for this research, reducing potential biases related to funding sources.

Implications and Conclusion

The inadequate effectiveness of the single dose of the vaccine and the increased risk associated with multiple prior doses suggest the COVID vaccination boosting program should be ceased, immediately.

Further, no mandates of the vaccine for any group anywhere is justified.

The immunological mechanisms that might explain the increased risk with more vaccine doses and the overall moderate vaccine effectiveness have been discussed at length here at Popular Rationalism.

This study is a critical addition to our understanding of vaccine performance against specific viral strains and will hopefully help inform public health decisions as we continue to face the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

GIVE YOUR MOTHER THE BEST GIFT POSSIBLE - COMMUNITY AND LEARNING

SEND HER A GIFT CARD TO A COURSE AT IPAK-EDU!