Research shows vaccines curb Covid transmission

Plus: The three subvariants of omicron

A lot of the research around vaccines has to do with their effectiveness on the individual level. It’s well established at this point that, for example, that vaccines provide strong protection against severe cases of the disease, and that unvaccinated people are much more at risk of hospitalization and death than those who are vaccinated. Additionally, even as new variants of the disease have arisen, it’s been clear that vaccines still provide protection against symptomatic infections -  one recent study found that those who’ve been vaccinated and boosted are three times less likely to get any Covid symptoms from the omicron variant compared to unvaccinated people. 

But two new research papers from Israel published in Science today bolster the case that vaccines protect against Covid transmission in the community as well. The first paper found that people fully vaccinated with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine were much less likely to transmit virus to other household members in the event of infection. The second paper found that for children who have not been vaccinated, having two fully vaccinated parents reduces their chances of getting a Covid infection by over 58%. These papers help to demonstrate that vaccination not only provides individual protection against Covid-19, but also helps protect the community at large from infection. 

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More Covid News

According to a recent study, nations run by populist governments recorded an average rate of excess coronavirus deaths twice as high as countries with non-populist governments in 2020.

A new report from market research company Cardify suggests that demand for travel in 2022 will largely be driven by fully vaccinated and boosted Americans. 

Spotify is removing Neil Young’s music from its platform following Young’s public ultimatum that the streaming service choose between him and Joe Rogan, whose popular podcast has featured inaccurate claims about Covid-19 and vaccines.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin reportedly dined at two restaurants in New York City following a positive Covid-19 test on Monday. 

Prominent right-wing commentator Dan Bongino has been banned from YouTube after violating the terms of an earlier suspension for spreading Covid disinformation.

What Else We Are Reading

• China’s zero-COVID strategy: what happens next? (Nature)

• Dangerous Flu Comeback Expected atop COVID This Winter (Scientific American)

• Patchwork system for rationing a Covid drug sends immunocompromised patients on a ‘Hunger Games hunt’ (Stat)