A new variant of the coronavirus called XEC is spreading around the world as respiratory virus season begins — and many public health experts are concerned about a pattern of alarmingly low coronavirus and flu vaccination rates in recent years.
The XEC strain, a highly contagious sub-strain of Omicron, was first detected in Germany in June and has since spread across Europe.
While the XEC variant appears highly contagious, public health officials say its symptoms and severity appear similar to other coronavirus subvariants circulating.
“The disease has been growing very quickly (in Europe),” said Dr. Scott Roberts, an assistant professor of infectious diseases at Yale University School of Medicine. “But behaviorally, there's nothing to suggest that it's causing changes in symptoms in any way. It seems to be more transmissible, but a lot of that is down to the fact that it's a little more distinct from the current variants.”
XEC is considered a recombinant strain, meaning “it's a combination of two strains that were already there,” said Erin Newcomer, a genomic epidemiologist at Rush University Health System.
“Although the strain is new, none of the characteristics of the strain are new,” she said.
The XEC strain “is just starting to emerge” in the Chicago area recently at low levels, making up 3% to 5% of the virus circulating locally, Newcomer added.
The strain is estimated to account for about 11% of the virus circulating nationwide, with slightly higher rates on the West Coast, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's latest update.
Health experts are urging the public to get the updated 2024-25 COVID vaccine in addition to the seasonal flu shot, as the respiratory virus season begins this month.
The new Covid vaccine was approved in late August and targets an Omicron subvariant of the virus that was prevalent at the time of its formulation and is similar to the strains currently circulating, according to the CDC.
“Until a few days ago, we now have some preliminary data showing that the vaccine in this fall's strain produces antibodies that target XEC,” Roberts said. “It's not a perfect match, because it's more mutated than what the vaccine was targeting…but it still elicits some degree of neutralizing antibodies against XEC. So that's good news.”
Nationally, about 6% of American adults reported having received the updated 2024-25 coronavirus vaccine as of the end of September, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dr. Lamar Hasbrouck, chief operating officer for the Cook County Department of Public Health, estimated that less than 1% of eligible residents in suburban Cook County have taken the most recent updated COVID-19 vaccine. The county health department notes that this is just the beginning of the season and the updated shot has only been available for a few weeks; The absorption of the previous shot was about 14%.
Hasbrouck urged everyone who is eligible to get the updated Covid vaccine and the seasonal flu vaccine as soon as possible, noting that they can be taken at the same time.
“There was vaccine fatigue,” he said. “People don't take it seriously because we don't see deaths as much. …I think Americans are not interested in vaccines because the worst is over and a lot of people are living with the coronavirus and the flu, and they feel inconvenienced. “It's not a high priority for people.”
The Chicago Department of Public Health and Cook County Department of Public Health recently announced a series of coronavirus and flu vaccination clinics at various locations throughout the region.
The city health department also targeted five communities most impacted by influenza and COVID the previous respiratory virus season — West Garfield Park, West Englewood, Burnside, Hermosa and McKinley Park — to try to increase vaccine uptake in those areas, the doctor said. Olosimbo “Simbo” Ige, Chicago Health Commissioner, during a press conference on Friday.
“We will make local and targeted awareness efforts to improve the uptake of influenza and Covid vaccination for the 2024-2025 season,” she said.
Coronavirus infection rates and hospitalizations have recently declined locally after a spike in cases during the late summer and early fall in much of the United States, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Previous COVID vaccine uptake was generally low in Illinois and across the country, although rates tend to be higher for older adults.
Nationally, less than a quarter of American adults have received a COVID vaccine in 2023-2024, according to the CDC.
About 17% of Chicagoans of all ages were up to date on previous coronavirus vaccination, according to the city health department's vaccine dashboard, which includes data reported through Aug. 31.
Rates were lower for city residents of color, with nearly 11% of Latino and Black residents getting COVID vaccines in 2023-2024; Uptake was also low for children, teenagers and young adults. The data showed that older residents are more likely to be vaccinated against Covid, with 40% of those over 75 years old and about 35% of those aged 65 to 74 years having received the updated vaccination.
Across Illinois, just over 14% of residents of all ages have received the 2023-24 dose, according to Illinois Department of Public Health data. Rates were lower for children than for adults, with people 65 and older being the most likely to get vaccinated statewide.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also advises everyone ages 6 months and older to get an annual influenza vaccine, with rare exceptions; The agency recommends vaccinating people against influenza in September or October.
“Ideally, everyone should be vaccinated by the end of October,” the CDC says.
Across the country, about 12% of adults reported receiving the 2024-25 flu vaccine as of late September, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But flu vaccine uptake has also declined in recent years.
About 45% of American adults have been vaccinated against influenza in 2023-2024, a decline from about 47% the previous year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 55% of children received a flu vaccine during the 2023-2024 season, down from 57% the previous season.
Doctors and health experts were particularly concerned about declining influenza vaccination rates in children after a series of deaths from childhood influenza during the previous respiratory virus season.
The CDC reported that two hundred American children died from influenza in 2023-2024, exceeding the previous record of 199 deaths among children during the 2019-20 respiratory virus season.
Deaths in 2023-2024 included 158 children who were eligible for influenza vaccine and whose vaccination status was known; Of those children, 131 were not fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
“Influenza vaccination can be life-saving for children and has been shown in several studies to reduce the severity of illness in people,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a September report. “September and October are good times to vaccinate.”
Vaccinations that protect against respiratory syncytial virus, or respiratory syncytial virus, are also available to older adults and some pregnant women; Infants and some children can also get antibodies to RSV.
Adults age 75 and older are eligible for the RSV vaccine. People ages 60 to 74 who have an increased risk of contracting RSV should also get the vaccine; Those who took the vaccine last year do not need to get another dose for RSV this year, according to the CDC.
eleven@chicagotribune.com
