An update from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows the federal health agency has admitted that a new omicron BA.2.86 sublineage variant could be more capable of infecting vaccinated than unvaccinated individuals.

CDC admits it

An August 23 update by the CDC states that the variant BA.2.86, dubbed “Pirola”, may be causing increased infections among those who have received the COVID vaccine. 

“BA.2.86 may be more capable of causing infection in people who have previously had COVID-19 or who have received COVID-19 vaccines,” the CDC’s risk assessment update reads.

“Scientists are evaluating the effectiveness of the forthcoming, updated COVID-19 vaccine.”

The CDC further stated that they believe yet another booster shot, to be released sometime in the fall, will be effective at reducing severe disease and hospitalization.

The CDC has been at the forefront of providing guidance on COVID-19 prevention and control measures. They have developed and updated guidelines for various aspects of the pandemic, including mask-wearing, social distancing, testing, and vaccination.

Last year, the CDC dropped special quarantine recommendations for unvaccinated persons, finally admitting that natural immunity should be considered and that vaccines don’t stop infection.

Most Canadian provinces stopped publishing infection data according to vaccine status last summer, which was right around the time the vaccinated population was beginning to show higher rates of infection per capita.

US College reimposes mask mandate

Just last week, Morris Brown College, based in Atlanta, made the decision to reimpose its COVID mask mandate for the coming two weeks. 

The move reportedly comes as a response to the detection of positive COVID cases within the Atlanta University Center, a prominent institution within the city.