Category: COVID-19 vaccines

Covid-19 and Flu Vaccines Today

Today I got the new Covid-19 vaccine and the flu shot. I scheduled on line late last week and got right in. I didn’t have to wait long in line—and there were others getting the same vaccines. Sena will get them tomorrow.

It’s up to you.

COVID-19 in the Rearview Mirror?

One way to think about the Covid-19 pandemic can be that it’s in our rearview mirror, which is one way of saying it’s behind us now.

On the other hand, another way to think about it is that COVID-19 is in our rearview mirror because it’s tailing us.

So, we can’t keep staring in the rearview mirror because that’s not a safe way to drive. We can look forward and drive, paying attention to the signs, which guide us on how to stay ahead of and outrun another pandemic.

One way to do that is to bookmark the CDC COVID-19 web site.

How to Find Covid-19 Vaccine Availability By County

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.

CDC Recommends Updated COVID-19 Vaccine This Fall-Winter Season

The CDC has posted a press release announcing that it has recommended the updated COVID-19 vaccine for the fall/winter virus season.

CDC ACIP Meeting Today on Covid-19 Vaccines

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.

FDA Authorizes Updated mRNA Covid-19 Vaccines

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.

CDC Update on SARS CoV-2 Variant BA.2.86

New update on the Covid-19 variant BA.2.86 as of Sept. 8, 2023. Highlights:

  • “The current increases in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the United States are not being driven by BA.2.86 and instead are being caused by other predominantly circulating viruses.
  • Early research data from multiple labs are reassuring and show that existing antibodies work against the new BA.2.86 variant. These data are also encouraging because of what it may mean for the effectiveness of the 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine, which is currently under review. That’s because the vaccine is tailored to the currently circulating variants.
  • Since CDC’s initial risk assessment, BA.2.86 has been identified in additional countries from both human and wastewater specimens. The variant has been identified in nine U.S. states as of September 8, 2023, at 11:30 AM EDT— in people across Colorado, Delaware, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, as well as one additional human case that is being investigated. The variant has also been identified in wastewater samples in two states, New York and Ohio.
  • The U.S. SARS-CoV-2 Interagency Group (SIG) classified BA.2.86 as a Variant being Monitored (VBM) on September 1, 2023.”

CDC Update Today on Covid-19 Variant BA.2.86

Today’s update by the CDC on the Covid-19 variant BA.2.86 is at this link.

Highlights:

  • “The variant has been identified in at least four states in the United States in samples from either people or wastewater.
  • This variant is currently being studied in the laboratory to help understand how the immune system may interact with this virus.
  • The current increases in cases and hospitalizations in the United States are likely being driven by infections with XBB lineage viruses, not the new BA.2.86 variant.”

“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.”

CDC ACIP to Discuss Covid-19 Vaccines on September 12, 2023

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.