Tag: covid 19 vaccine

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.

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 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.

Official CDC Update on New Covid-19 Variant BA.2.86

I’ve been looking for official CDC news about the new Covid-19 variant, BA.2.86 and it looks like it was just posted on their website yesterday.

Highlights:

“Last week, a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 called BA.2.86 was detected in samples from people in Denmark and Israel. At least two cases have been identified in the United States. This variant is notable because it has multiple genetic differences from previous versions of SARS-CoV-2.”

“Based on what CDC knows now, existing tests used to detect and medications used to treat COVID-19 appear to be effective with this variant. BA.2.86 may be more capable of causing infection in people who have previously had COVID-19 or who have received COVID-19 vaccines. Scientists are evaluating the effectiveness of the forthcoming, updated COVID-19 vaccine. CDC’s current assessment is that this updated vaccine will be effective at reducing severe disease and hospitalization. At this point, there is no evidence that this variant is causing more severe illness. That assessment may change as additional scientific data are developed. CDC will share more as we know more.”

Moderna Files for FDA Authorization of Updated Covid-19 Vaccine

The Moderna corporation announced in June 2023 that it filed for FDA authorization of its monovalent XBB. 1.5 vaccine.

Pfizer also announced the same message in August. It’s on page 4 of the Pfizer Earnings Call.

New Dominant Covid-19 Variant EG.5

There is a new dominant Covid-19 variant called EG.5. It’s also called Eris. It’s descended from the XBB strains. It’s in the Omicron family and there is no indication it causes more severe disease and would be susceptible to current vaccines.

Selected Highlights of CDC ACIP Meeting on Covid-19 Vaccines

Today I’m highlighting a few items of interest to older adults from the summary slide set on Covid-19 vaccines presented on June 23, 2023 at the CDC ACIP meeting last week. Information for other age groups are included in the slide set.

Covid-19 continues to be a major health threat for the population, especially older adults and the immunocompromised. Vaccines are still the most effective intervention. However, the bivalent vaccine uptake was very low; most people didn’t get it.

A new Covid-19 monovalent vaccine with an XBB.1.5 composition, is expected to be available this fall.

In the fall, the vaccine manufacturers will switch to the commercial marketplace. In order to continue making Covid-19 vaccines available to the uninsured, there is a Bridge Access Program for Covid-19 Vaccines and Treatments” which is described at the HHS website.

Covid-19 Variants in the News

Sena alerted me to a CBS news item with the headline “CDC tracking new Covid variant EU.1.1.” The story seemed a bit misleading because the FDA just announced approval of vaccines for XBB.1.5. beginning in the fall.

I checked the CDC Data Tracker for variants and noticed XBB.1.5 is still the most common Covid-19 subvariant in the U.S.

While the EU.1.1 is on the list of subvariants tracked, it’s pretty far down the line and is much less common than the news headline seems to suggest. And it’s not clear the new vaccine for XBB.1.5 wouldn’t protect against EU.1.1 as well.

Four Seasonal Vaccines for Older Adults?

There are a number of seasonal vaccines recommended for older adults in the U.S. They include vaccines for influenza, pneumonia, and the newest one is Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).

I noticed that during the recent FDA meeting to decide on approval of another vaccine for the XBB variant of Covid-19, many experts objected to the use of the word “periodic” in the voting question.

Those objecting to it did so because of the implicit suggestion that Covid-19 is a seasonal virus. Not all experts agree on that. I gather it takes time to determine whether or not an infectious agent should be considered seasonal or not.

If the XBB variant of Covid-19, RSV, pneumonia, and influenza are all considered seasonal, then there are 4 vaccines for which older adults would be eligible.

The consensus among most experts is that you can take both influenza and Covid-19 vaccines at the same time. Most of us older adults also get the pnemococcal vaccine as well.

Will the RSV vaccine be added to the list? Should you get all 4 at the same time? Or should they be spaced out? Should you get the influenza and Covid-19 vaccines together and wait a week or two before getting the RSV and pneumococcal vaccines?

The increase in recommendations for vaccinations could be burdensome for those without health insurance. Vaccine uptake will probably continue to be a challenge.