evidence: - Since CDC's first post on BA.2.86 in August 2023, the proportion of infections caused by BA.2.86 has slowly increased. In the CDC Nowcast posted Nov. 27, 2023, BA.2.86 is projected to account for 5-15% of currently circulating variants. [...] - CDC contributed to and agrees with the World Health Organization's recent risk assessment about BA.2.86 suggesting that the public health risk posed by this variant is low compared with other circulating variants, based on available limited evidence. - Updated COVID-19 vaccines are expected to increase protection against BA.2.86, as they do for other variants.