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The article reports that a pediatric nephrologist alerted The Gambia's Ministry of Health to a cluster of cases of acute kidney injury among young children at the country's sole teaching hospital, leading to a request for assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Further measures to bolster pharmaceutical quality control and event-based public health surveillance are needed to prevent similar outbreaks in the future.

Although COVID-19 mRNA vaccines demonstrated high efficacy in clinical trials (1), they were not 100% efficacious. Thus, some infections postvaccination are expected. Limited data are available on effectiveness in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and against emerging variants. The Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) and a local health department investigated a COVID-19 outbreak in a SNF that occurred after all residents and health care personnel (HCP) had been offered vaccination. Among 83 residents and 116 HCP, 75 (90.4%) and 61 (52.6%), respectively, received 2 vaccine doses. Twenty-six residents and 20 HCP received positive test results for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, including 18 residents and four HCP who had received their second vaccine dose >14 days before the outbreak began. An R.1 lineage variant was detected with whole genome sequencing (WGS). Although the R.1 variant has multiple spike protein mutations, vaccinated residents and HCP were 87% less likely to have symptomatic COVID-19 compared with those who were unvaccinated. Vaccination of SNF populations, including HCP, is critical to reduce the risk for SARS-CoV-2 introduction, transmission, and severe outcomes in SNFs. An ongoing focus on infection prevention and control practices is also essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the Suspected Recurrent SARS-CoV-2 Infections among residents of a skilled Nursing Facility during a Second COVID-19 Outbreak. Topics discussed the Kentucky Department for Public Health and a local health department conducted an investigation at a skilled nursing facility (SNF) that experienced a second COVID-19 outbreak; and maintaining physical distance, wearing face coverings or masks, and frequent hand hygiene are critical mitigation strategies.

Although laboratory evidence suggests that antibody responses following COVID-19 vaccination provide better neutralization of some circulating variants than does natural infection (1,2), few real-world epidemiologic studies exist to support the benefit of vaccination for previously infected persons. This report details the findings of a case-control evaluation of the association between vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 reinfection in Kentucky during May-June 2021 among persons previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 in 2020. Kentucky residents who were not vaccinated had 2.34 times the odds of reinfection compared with those who were fully vaccinated (odds ratio [OR] = 2.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.58-3.47). These findings suggest that among persons with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, full vaccination provides additional protection against reinfection. To reduce their risk of infection, all eligible persons should be offered vaccination, even if they have been previously infected with SARS-CoV-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on assessing the incident's impact on civilian health in the affected area. Topics include persons in thousands of households offered temporary housing and alternative drinking water provided to users of affected water where HDOH requested epidemiologic assistance; and reported improvement in symptoms after switching to an alternative water source.