New Covid shots on the way

CDC panel expected to issue guidelines Tuesday; pharmacies could start giving shots within days; increasing cases prompt new calls for indoor masks and other voluntary precautions

While Covid-19 is much tamer than it was when it was a “novel” coronavirus, the USA still loses hundreds of lives each week from this mostly preventable disease now. To avoid more needless deaths and severe disease, new Covid vaccines geared to block omicron variants are expected to get the official green light from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after advisors endorse clinical guidelines Tuesday. The shots could be available at local pharmacies and health centers as early as the end of this week.

Our problem: Most Americans never got last year’s booster shot, and millions have received no Covid vaccinations. Though Covid infection confers some immune response that protects against new infection, the protection is weak — the majority of deaths continue to be among those who skipped the shots.

Two different vaccines were granted Emergency Use Authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday. Both are mRNA vaccines, one by Pfizer and the other by Moderna. For details, including the data underlying the approval, visit the FDA website. It appears that the new shots are likely to protect pretty well against most variants of Covid that are currently circulating.

Because the new shots are on the way, the existing “bivalent” shots are no longer allowed to be given because they are less effective. The gap should be only a few days.

Video provided by Moderna shows Covid-19 vaccines being prepared for shipment.

Since the federal “public health emergency” ended on May 11, 2023, providers may charge fees to administer the new shots. Get them just as you get seasonal flu or other routine immunizations.

Full coverage for those covered by Medicaid remains in effect through Sept. 30, 2024. The federal government also has secured commitments from industry to provide vaccine doses to uninsured individuals without cost. More information is available on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website.

Meanwhile, Covid cases are rising almost everywhere. In my circle, at least a half dozen people have told me they had Covid in the past three weeks. If you got your last vaccination last Fall, you’re likely vulnerable to a new infection until you get a new shot and it has a chance to stimulate your immune system response. I’ve diligently worn either a KN95 or N95 mask when inside public places in the past two weeks. Properly fitted and worn masks prevent viral particles from passing to your mouth and nose from others — and also reduces risk that you could spread Covid to others if you are infected. The most infectious period begins before most people are aware of any symptoms.

Mask confusion? Yes, there’s plenty of that. For example, there was a widely touted review article earlier this year that critics say show that masks don’t work. That’s not what the paper said. The key point is that community-wide “mask mandates” proved ineffective, but mask adherence in schools, hospitals and other settings absolutely worked to prevent disease and death. One of the reasons that “mandates” failed is that the “mandates” in the United States were inconsistent and poorly enforced - they were not real mandates. For a comprehensive discussion on the evidence about masks, check out this article in Scientific American.

Masks Work. Distorting Science to Dispute the Evidence Doesn't - Scientific American

Did you miss this newsletter? I got off-track awhile ago when I caught a mild case of Covid, my first bout. Now that I got it again - and that we have new shots coming, it seems timely to crank one of these out again. Want more? Have questions? Leave a comment or send me an email. Thanks for your support!

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