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Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine produced virtually no antibody protection against the omicron coronavirus variant in a laboratory experiment, underlining the new strain’s ability to get around one pillar of the body’s defenses. The vaccine appears to provide some defense against omicron, perhaps via other means such as stimulation of immune cells, according to Penny Moore, a South African virologist. The findings are consistent with other studies that show a partial loss of potency against Covid-19 for a number of vaccines, with J&J’s antibody protection looking particularly weak in the lab test. (Sguazzin, 12/14)

The vaccine made by Sinovac Biotech Ltd., one of the most widely used in the world, doesn’t provide sufficient antibodies in two doses to neutralize the omicron variant and boosters will likely be needed to improve protection, initial lab findings showed. While the first two studies to be released on the Chinese shot and omicron diverged on how much the vaccine’s immune response is degraded, they both indicated the standard two-dose course would not be enough, raising uncertainty over a shot relied on by millions of people in China and the developing world to protect against Covid-19. (Hong, 12/14)

Delaware health officials are launching a toll-free number to help homebound people request at-home coronavirus vaccines. People who can’t get to vaccination locations because of disability, age or severe illness can call the toll-free number to be assessed and schedule a vaccination, the Department of Health and Social Services announced Tuesday. (12/14)

Since the first COVID-19 vaccine shipment arrived in Washington state one year ago, more than 11.3 million doses of vaccine have been administered across the state, according to state heath officials. The Washington state Department of Health said Tuesday that over 5.4 million Washington residents have received at least one vaccine dose. As of Monday, 81.7% of the population age 12 and older in Washington has received at least one dose and 75.3% is fully vaccinated, according to the state’s COVID-19 dashboard. (12/14)

With the world facing the latest in a seemingly endless stream of coronavirus variants — and with bullish talk from manufacturers about a need for even more vaccine shots — you wouldn’t be alone if you were wondering: Are Covid boosters always going to be a fixture in our future? The simple truth is that, at this point, there’s no definitive answer to that question. (Branswell, 12/15)