A perspective, published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases by authors of this CITF-funded study, reported that various biases in how data are collected and analyzed could lead to false negative conclusions regarding vaccine effectiveness (VE).
A CITF-funded study published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases reaffirmed that myocarditis following a mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is rare. Furthermore, the myocarditis rate following a third mRNA dose is lower than after the second dose.
A CITF-funded study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, reported that among adolescents the risk of myocarditis or pericarditis after receiving the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine varies according to age and sex. There is some evidence to suggest an increased risk with shorter intervals between doses 1 and 2.
In this CITF-funded study published in Pediatrics, Drs. Jeffrey Kwong (University of Toronto) and Kumanan Wilson (University of Ottawa) highlighted that two doses of the monovalent Pfizer-BioNtech mRNA vaccine yielded moderate protection against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, while protection against severe COVID-19 outcomes was much higher among children between the ages of 5 and 11.
In this CITF-funded study, published in Nature Communications, Dr. Jeffrey Kwong (University of Toronto), along with Drs. Kumanan Wilson and Deshayne Fell (University of Ottawa) found that a third and fourth dose of mRNA vaccine sustained the protection conferred against severe Omicron-related outcomes for at least three months in people aged 50 years or older.
CITF-funded researchers at Héma-Québec, led by Drs. Marc Germain and Renée Bazin, published a paper in BMJ Open reporting on the characteristics of the plasma donors whose samples are used to study COVID-19 immunity in Quebec. More than 86,000 plasma samples have been collected from more than 15,500 individual donors in its COVID-19-focused PlasCOV biobank.
In a CITF-funded study published in Public Health, Dr. Corinne Hohl (University of British Columbia) revealed that SARS-CoV-2–positive patients who presented to emergency departments reported similar physical health conditions 30 days after discharge, but substantially worse mental health after 30 days compared to their SARS-CoV-2-negative counterparts.
In a study published in BMJ, CITF-funded researchers Drs. Kumanan Wilson (University of Ottawa), Jeffrey Kwong (University of Toronto), and Deshayne Fell (Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute) revealed that COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy is effective at protecting the newborns from SARS-CoV-2 infections and hospitalizations, particularly during the first two months of life.
A CITF-funded study published in JACEP Open, showed that the Canadian COVID-19 Emergency Department Rapid Response Network (CCEDRRN) COVID discharge score can identify patients at risk of hospital admission or death within 72 hours of emergency department discharge. This study was led by Dr. Corinne Hohl (University of British Columbia).
In the Journal of the Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease Canada, researchers with the CITF-funded Safety and Efficacy of Preventative COVID Vaccines (STOPCoV) study reported a low rate of symptomatic or asymptomatic breakthrough infections (3.4%) of COVID-19 between January 17 to March 29, 2022.