Moderna awaits FDA approval; J&J provides more data, and those booster shots may be available sooner than eight months
Case counts going up in surge areas, while signs of tapering in places with wide use of masks and high rates of vaccinations.
Lots of developments on the vaccine front, while experts say there’s a long winter ahead no matter what happens because there is a lot of COVID-19 going around just in time for everyone to crowd inside to stay warm (and spread colds, flu and COVID, too.)
But the news isn’t all bad. Only most of it.
Vaccine confidence
People who were unvaccinated were 29 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than those who were vaccinated, according to data from Los Angeles County from May-July.
Both Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson submitted new data to the FDA showing that booster shots successfully cause immune response to jump. The J&J study of 17 people showed that a booster given six months after the first shot increased antibody response by nine times. Pfizer’s data indicated that a booster dose at least tripled immune response.
Moderna said it completed its filing for the FDA to review and issue “full approval.”
Reports are circulating that the FDA and CDC may authorize booster shots at six months instead of eight based on the latest data.
The southern surge
Florida has had more than 3.1 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and 42,731 deaths - with new cases mounting at a record pace. Hospitalizations are nearly three times more now than a month ago. There are 45 children hospitalized for COVID-19 in Florida now.
Louisiana tallies more COVID-19 deaths on one day than ever before, with 139 on Tuesday. Four out of five deaths are among people who did not get vaccinated, and over 90% of those hospitalized are unvaccinated.
Arkansas has more than 350 people on ventilators, the highest number since the pandemic began. The state is approaching 6,800 deaths.
Vaccines bad, experimental treatment good?
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a new executive order Wednesday, prohibiting any Texas jurisdiction from mandating any coronavirus vaccine. His previous order only applied to vaccines with emergency use authorization.
Abbott, along with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and others are embracing the use of monoclonal antibody cocktails to treat people who get COVID-19. These treatments can reduce severe illness or death when used early enough. Like the COVID-19 vaccines, the mABs are authorized by the FDA for emergency use.
Nebraska is recruiting nurses and other healthcare workers from other states by touting that it has no mask or vaccine mandates.
The top performing link on Facebook from January-March 2021 was one that cast doubt about the COVID-19 vaccines. It was an article that said authorities were investigating the cause of a Florida doctor’s death after getting vaccinated. The coroner later determined the cause of death was “natural.”
Mask confusion and testing
The CDC published a new page explaining why testing is an integral part of keeping schools open — and safe.
Most people who are fully vaccinated can participate in “many of the activities” that used to be normal, according to the latest CDC update on daily activities. Additional precautions are advised in areas where there is a high rate of COVID-19 transmission (which is all of the USA right now.)
And a side note on an unrelated topic:
Donate to support the San Quentin News and its award-winning journalism and rehabilitation program
Please support San Quentin State Prison’s groundbreaking journalism program. The incarcerated journalists, who write and publish the monthly San Quentin News newspaper and the almost-quarterly Wall City magazine, recently won five California Journalism Awards. And they kept the paper going even during COVID-19 lockdowns.
Friends of San Quentin News is hosting a short live event Thursday evening so that you can hear from men who have returned to their communities after working on the newspaper. There also is an online auction with some excellent items (tickets to see Hamilton in San Francisco, San Quentin News t-shirts, and more.) Please take a look, register and bid - or just make a donation.
Now, a message from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (This is real.)