Vaccines prevented over 2.5 million COVID deaths worldwide: Study

July 27, 2025 6:11 PM

Vaccines prevented over 2.5 million COVID deaths worldwide: Study

Vaccines have prevented more than 2.5 million deaths caused by SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind COVID-19, according to a new study. Led by researchers from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Italy, the study found that one COVID-related death was avoided for every 5,400 vaccine doses administered. About 82% of the lives saved involved people who were vaccinated before contracting the virus. Additionally, 57% of the total lives saved were during the Omicron period, and 90% of the deaths...

FDA asks COVID vaccine makers to target KP.2 strain, if feasible, for next shot

June 15, 2024 4:45 PM

FDA asks COVID vaccine makers to target KP.2 strain, if feasible, for next shot

The U.S. health regulator has changed its strain recommendation for the 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccines, as it asked manufacturers to update the new shots to target the KP.2 variant, if feasible, instead of the JN.1 lineage it sought to target earlier. The Food and Drug Administration's change in recommendation, in an update dated Thursday, comes even as Moderna and Novavax makers of two of the three COVID vaccines submitted their applications to the agency for updating the fall 2024 season shots wit...