Sena and I were wondering if you need a prescription to get the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine.
It turns out only four states require doctor prescription to get RSV vaccine: Iowa, Georgia, Missouri, and Utah. Washington D.C. is working on making the RSV vaccine available without a prescription.
The Iowa Pharmacy Association blog post about the issue makes it clear a prescription is needed to get the RSV vaccine.
I’m finding out that maybe the best way to learn what the local public health issues are concerning Covid-19 infections as well as vaccine availability are through the county public health agency in my area.
According to the Johnson County Public Health department, hospital admission rates in Johnson County currently low. I can search the map and see that admissions are rising in certain areas of Iowa.
I also learned that the new Covid-19 vaccine will more likely be available closer to the end of the month or early next month rather than in a few days as suggested by presenters at the CDC meeting on September 12, 2023.
The county public health agencies may not have the most current information. Johnson County’s last update as of yesterday was September 1, 2023.
You can also check local pharmacies for availability of the Covid-19 vaccine.
The CDC has posted a press release announcing that it has recommended the updated COVID-19 vaccine for the fall/winter virus season.
Today is the scheduled meeting for the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). It meets from 10 AM-4 PM EDT. The final agenda is here.
The presentation slides are at this link.
I also want to recommend the recent article on the new Covid vaccine published in Scientific American on September 1, 2023, entitled “When Will the Next COVID Vaccine Be Available, and Who Should Get It?
I think it’s a nice, balanced article which avoids extreme opinions and sticks to the scientific facts.
Today, the FDA approved and authorized the updated mRNA Covid-19 vaccines, specifically for the monovalent XBB.1.5 variant.
See the announcement on the FDA website for full details. The CDC ACIP will meet to discuss clinically-based recommendations for the use of these vaccines tomorrow.
The 22nd Anniversary Commemoration of the 9/11 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center will be observed today.
I remember where I was on September 9, 2001. I was climbing the stairs at the hospital on my way back to my office. I was on duty on the psychiatry consultation service. I happened to glance at the television in the lobby from the landing. A news story was showing one of the Twin Towers on fire.
I couldn’t believe my eyes. The rest of the day there was talk of the attack on America.
We visited New York City in 2017 and viewed the Memorial & Museum Plaza. We saw the Survivor Tree, the Callery Pear.
It seems like there is almost nothing else to remember about the date except the disaster and the tragedy.
But one of the local fire stations not far from our house has a Flag of Honor on the wall. It honors those killed in the terrorist attacks on 9/11.
Even if we can’t go to the Memorial in New York City, we can remember it and honor the brave.
New update on the Covid-19 variant BA.2.86 as of Sept. 8, 2023. Highlights:
Today’s update by the CDC on the Covid-19 variant BA.2.86 is at this link.
Highlights:
“CDC’s current assessment is that the updated COVID-19 vaccine, which will be available in mid-September, will likely be effective at reducing severe disease and hospitalization. Immune responses generated from prior infection also help protect against severe outcomes of COVID-19. There is currently no evidence that this variant is causing more severe illness. That assessment may change as additional scientific data are developed. CDC remains committed to releasing updates on trends and observations of this variant.”
“Immune Impacts: Approximately 97% of the U.S. population has antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 from vaccination, previous infection, or both (hybrid immunity). Immune responses to vaccines and infections are complex and involve both humoral (antibodies) and cellular immunity. It is likely that the humoral and cellular immune responses will continue to provide protection against severe disease from this variant. Laboratories are currently working on measuring antibody neutralization of BA.2.86 as well as other immune responses. This is an area of ongoing scientific investigation.
Therapeutics: The assessment as to the impact of BA.2.86 on currently approved or authorized therapeutics is unchanged. Examination of the mutation profile of BA.2.86 suggests that currently available treatments like nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (Paxlovid), remdesivir (Veklury), and molnupiravir (Lagevrio) will be effective against this variant. This assessment is from the SARS-CoV-2 Interagency Group (SIG), which comprises experts from multiple United States government agencies. Monitoring is ongoing, and CDC will update this document as additional data on the impact of this variant on therapeutics become available.”
The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has a scheduled meeting on September 12, 2023 to discuss Covid-19 vaccines. The information about it is a bit difficult to find. It’s announced as a notice on the Federal Register. On the agenda:
Matters To Be Considered: The agenda will include discussion of COVID–19 vaccines. Recommendation votes for COVID–19 vaccines are scheduled. Agenda items are subject to change as priorities dictate. For more information on the meeting agenda, visit https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/index.html.
Clicking the link as of August 28, 2023 did not reveal a meeting agenda, but I expect this to be updated in the near future.
There is an easy to read guide about the seasonal influenza shot for 2023-24 at this link.
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