Karen B. Jacobson, MD, MPH

karen.x.jacobson@kp.org

Jacobson, Karen B.

Dr. Karen Jacobson joined the Vaccine Study Center at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research in 2023 as a Research Scientist. She is a board-certified Infectious Diseases physician.

Dr. Jacobson obtained a bachelor of arts in Human Biology from Stanford University and a doctor of medicine and master of Public Health from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She completed her residency training in Internal Medicine/HIV Primary Care at the Yale-New Haven Hospital and her fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Stanford.

Dr. Jacobson’s research is focused on mitigating sequelae of infectious diseases, particularly SARS-CoV-2. She is co-Investigator of multiple outpatient studies of treatments for acute and convalescent SARS-CoV-2 disease, and her published work has described clinical and immunologic correlations of Long COVID and risk of post-vaccination infection with SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. Dr. Jacobson is the recipient of the Burroughs Wellcome-ASTMH Fellowship in Tropical Infectious Diseases, a Thrasher Fund Early Career Award, and a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)-funded Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23AI177817) evaluating sequelae of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination on early infant outcomes in Uganda.

Current Positions

  • Research Scientist

Section Affiliations

Primary Research Interests

  • Mitigating sequelae of infectious diseases
  • SARS-CoV-2 disease

Related Websites

Studies

Impact of gestational SARS-CoV-2 and maternal inflammation on child growth and neurodevelopment in a malaria-endemic setting

Leveraging longitudinal clinical data and samples from mother-infant dyads enrolled in two ongoing NIH-funded trials in Busia, Uganda, with high incidence of malaria and SARS-CoV-2, this study will evaluate the impact of gestational SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination on early childhood growth and neurodevelopment, and determine if the effect of gestational SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination on infant outcomes is mediated by specific maternal inflammatory pathways.

Investigator: Jacobson, Karen

Funder: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Publications

SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination Before and During Pregnancy and Prevention of Infant COVID-19 Infection

Authors: Jacobson KB;Merchant M;Fireman B;Klein NP;Zerbo O

Pediatrics. 2026 May 01;157(5).

PubMed abstract

Adjuvanted vs High-Dose Influenza Vaccines in Older US Adults: A Cluster Randomized Crossover Study

Authors: Hsiao A;Leong T;Fireman B;Hansen J;Zerbo O;Jacobson KB;Liao LD;Haag MDM;McGovern I;Zhang B;Dang J;Klein NP

JAMA Netw Open. 2026 May 01;9(5):e2610120. Epub 2026-05-01.

PubMed abstract

2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccination coverage in pregnancy in ten healthcare delivery organizations in the United States

Authors: Irving SA;Jacobson, Karen B;Zerbo, Ousseny;Naleway AL; et al.

Vaccine. 2026 Mar 12;79:128441. Epub 2026-03-12.

PubMed abstract

Effectiveness of 2024-2025 COVID-19 Vaccines in Children in the United States – VISION, August 29, 2024-September 2, 2025

Authors: Irving SA;Klein, Nicola P;Zerbo, Ousseny;Hansen, John;Block, Lawrence;Jacobson, Karen B;Link-Gelles R; et al.

MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2025 Dec 11;74(40):607-614. Epub 2025-12-11.

PubMed abstract

Effectiveness of 2023-2024 COVID-19 Vaccines in Children in the United States

Authors: Irving SA;Klein, Nicola P;Zerbo, Ousseny;Hansen, John;Block, Lawrence;Jacobson, Karen B;Ball SW; et al.

Pediatrics. 2025 Dec 01;156(6).

PubMed abstract

Social Determinants of Health and Risk for Long COVID in the U.S. RECOVER-Adult Cohort

Authors: Feldman CH;Jacobson, Karen B;Karlson EW; et al.

Ann Intern Med. 2025 Sep;178(9):1287-1297. Epub 2025-07-29.

PubMed abstract

Effectiveness of 2023-2024 seasonal influenza vaccine against influenza-associated emergency department and urgent care encounters among pregnant and non-pregnant women of reproductive age

Authors: Reeves EL;Klein, Nicola P;Zerbo, Ousseny;Jacobson, Karen B;Fireman, Bruce H;Hansen, John R;Block, Lawrence;Olson SM; et al.

Vaccine. 2025 Aug 30;62:127483. Epub 2025-07-13.

PubMed abstract

Infant Respiratory Syncytial Virus Immunization Coverage in the Vaccine Safety Datalink: 2023-2024

Authors: Irving SA;Jacobson, Karen B;Zerbo, Ousseny;Naleway AL; et al.

Pediatrics. 2025 Jun 01;155(6).

PubMed abstract

Patterns in prescribing and dispensing of influenza antivirals among adults with influenza presenting to urgent care and emergency department settings, VISION Network, 2023-2024

Authors: Adams, Katherine;Klein, Nicola P;Fireman, Bruce;Zerbo, Ousseny;Jacobson, Karen B;Timbol, Julius;Tenforde, Mark W; et al.

Clin Infect Dis. 2025 Apr 04.

PubMed abstract

Uptake of Maternal RSV Vaccination and Infant Nirsevimab Among Infants Born October 2023 to March 2024

Authors: Jacobson, Karen B;Watson, Andrew J;Merchant, Maqdooda;Fireman, Bruce;Zerbo, Ousseny;Klein, Nicola P

JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Jan 02;8(1):e2453696. Epub 2025-01-02.

PubMed abstract

Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir and Symptoms in Adults With Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection: The STOP-PASC Randomized Clinical Trial

Authors: Geng, Linda N;Jacobson, Karen B;Singh, Upinder;et al.

JAMA Intern Med. 2024 Jun 07.

PubMed abstract

Monthly Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine During Pregnancy Prevents Febrile Respiratory Illnesses: A Secondary Analysis of a Malaria Chemoprevention Trial in Uganda

Authors: Lee, Jordan John;Jacobson, Karen B;Roh, Michelle E;et al.

Open Forum Infect Dis. 2024 Apr;11(4):ofae143. Epub 2024-03-13.

PubMed abstract

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