The Omicron variant of COVID-19 quickly became the dominant strain in the United States, and new data regarding its symptoms, transmissibility and severity are constantly being released.
Through multiple media interviews, Regenstrief Institute Vice President for Data and Analytics Shaun Grannis, M.D., M.S., and Director of Public Health Informatics Brian Dixon, PhD, MPA, are providing context to the new information, explaining the available data and what is still unknown.
Research scientists and data teams from the institute continue to work with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s VISION Network to use real-world data to analyze the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against variants such as Omicron. The VISION Network is made up of seven organizations across the country — including Regenstrief — that submit real-world data from electronic medical records and public health records.
Past findings from the network published by Regenstrief faculty include a New England Journal of Medicine paper on the effectiveness of vaccinations at protecting against COVID-related hospitalizations and death as well as CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly papers on vaccine effectiveness against the Delta variant, vaccine effectiveness compared to infection-induced immunity and vaccine effectiveness among immunocompromised adults.
As the COVID-19 situation rapidly changes, real-world data such as that gathered by the VISION Network remain one of the best tools to understand the ongoing pandemic and develop strategies to contain the virus.
