Earlier this week, both the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control approved an additional dose of the bivalent vaccine for adults 65 years and older and people who are immunosuppressed.
“The decision by the FDA and CDC to approve a second booster of COVID-19 this week demonstrates the real risk that this disease continues to pose to specific groups. Although Illinois overall continues to have low community levels of COVID-19, the virus continues to circulate and cause hospitalizations,” said Dr. Sameer Vohra, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. “Vaccines are the best tool to prevent serious diseases. I encourage people over the age of 65 or who are immunocompromised to talk to their healthcare provider about the benefits of this COVID-19 booster.”
It’s too early to tell if younger, healthier people will be offered another booster, but the extra dose for the most vulnerable is one of the steps the FDA is taking to simplify future COVID-19 vaccines.
Cases remain low in Illinois, with only two of the state’s 102 counties in an elevated community level of COVID-19, according to the most recent data from the CDs.
For the fifth week in a row, no county in Illinois is at a “high” community level of COVID-19.
While cases remain low, health officials encourage residents to remain vigilant for any possible future spike in cases.
With the recent approval of a second bivalent dose for some Americans, here’s what you need to know about the foreseeable future of COVID-19 vaccines:
A FORMULA FOR PFIZER AND MODERNA VACCINES
COVID-19 vaccines have saved millions of lives, but protection wanes over time and new, more contagious variants have emerged. Last fall, Pfizer and Moderna released updated “bivalent” boosters that added protection against omicron strains. On Tuesday, the FDA announced that an updated formula will be used for anyone receiving a vaccine from Pfizer or Moderna. For unvaccinated adults, that means a combination shot would replace having to get multiple doses of the original vaccine first.
WHO NEEDS A REINFORCEMENT?
Anyone who has received original vaccines but has not yet received an updated booster can still receive one. Just 42% of Americans 65 and older, and just 20% of all adults, have gotten one of those boosters since September.
SOME PEOPLE ARE AT HIGHER RISK
For many Americans, COVID-19 has become less of a health fear and more of an inconvenience, and wearing a mask, getting routine tests, and other precautions are no longer a priority. But at least 250 people a day in the country are still dying from COVID-19, and high-risk Americans who last received a dose in the fall wonder when they might get another.
Allowing the elderly and immunocompromised to get an extra booster dose brings the US in line with Britain and Canada, which are also offering a spring shot to certain vulnerable populations.
Those red, itchy eyes you assumed were just the start of allergy season? It could well be something called “Arcturus” or XBB.1.16.
WILL THE YOUNGER AND HEALTHIER PEOPLE GET A REINFORCEMENT IN THE FALL?
The FDA will hold a public meeting in June to consider whether the vaccine prescription needs further adjustments to better accommodate the latest strains of coronavirus, just as it adjusts flu vaccines every year. And part of that discussion will be whether younger, healthier people also need a boost.
The updated Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in use now target the omicron BA.4 and BA.5 versions, which have been superseded by an ever-changing list of omicron descendants. Still, while protection against mild infections is short-lived, those updated doses continue to do a good job of fighting serious illness and death, even against newer variants, experts say.
THERE WILL ALSO BE CHANGES TO VACCINES FOR CHILDREN
Millions of American children have yet to receive their initial vaccines against COVID-19, but the announcement means they, too, can receive the most up-to-date version of the vaccines. Children 6 months to 5 years who are not vaccinated can choose two shots of Moderna or three of the Pfizer-BioNTech version. Children as young as 5 can receive two doses of Moderna or a single injection of Pfizer.
Original doses from Pfizer or Moderna can receive a bivalent vaccine, but the number of doses will depend on their vaccination history, according to the FDA.
WHAT ABOUT THE NOVAVAX VACCINE?
Novavax makes a more traditional type of COVID-19 vaccine, and its original formulation is still available for people who don’t want the Pfizer or Moderna option. Novavax noted that it is preparing in case the FDA requests an update for the fall.
2023-04-25 03:31:48
#Illinois #Health #Officials #Encourage #Eligible #Residents #Receive #Bivalent #Booster
