COVID-19 News and Updates
Hello all,
Nina Duggan here with the latest COVID-19 news and updates. This week we discuss in depth the booster and the new recommendations regarding the changing world of the vaccine.
COVID Communication: Special on Vaccination and The Booster Shot
The Importance of Vaccination and Receiving Your Booster Shot
COVID-19 surged throughout the country during the months of January and February, bolstered by the new Omicron variant. Yet as summer approaches , we have been seeing a decline of both cases and hospitalizations across the board. So why is it still necessary to get the booster shot? Why are experts discussing the possibility of a fourth shot or even a yearly dose?
With the statement from Pfizer regarding the notion of a yearly COVID-19 booster has come an increase in reluctance to get vaccinated, several people likening the virus to the flu. While they are both contagious respiratory viruses, it is important to communicate that we are still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and that they are far from the same in both symptoms and virulence. Compared to the flu, COVID-19 can cause more serious illness, take longer before people show symptoms, and people may remain contagious for longer periods of time.
With the global COVID-19 pandemic being continuously in flux, it can be difficult to keep up with what vaccine to receive when, and how to be up to date on your vaccinations. To be up to date, you should have the initial two dose course as well as your first booster. For those over the age of 50 or who are at high risk of severe disease, and who are four months out from their first booster, it is a good idea to receive your second booster. Furthermore, if you have the J&J booster, it is recommended that you switch to the mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna).
To further explain the recent approval of a booster for those age 50 and older for the COVID-19 vaccines and what this means in a practical sense:
· If you are over 50 years of age, and at least four months out from your first booster, it is a good idea to consider getting your second booster at this time. Particularly for those who are immunocompromised or at high risk of severe disease.
· The data has come in, mixing and matching the mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) is not only safe and effective, it does provide a slight boost in immunity compared to just getting either Pfizer or Moderna all the way through your booster series.
· Individuals who have gotten the J&J vaccine should instead receive one of the mRNA vaccines for their next shot, as the J&J vaccine does not currently meet satisfactory standards of efficacy against the emerging variants.
· You should still get vaccinated even if you have already been infected. Natural immunity from COVID-19 fades completely after about 90 days and will not protect you from re-infection.
· If you are under 50 and not high risk, you do not need a second booster at this time as the first round of boosters is still holding up quite well in the younger age groups. Though it is likely that (similar to the first round of booster shots) this will be expanded to the younger age groups as time goes on.
Where Do We Stand on The Pediatric Vaccine?
At present, the FDA is still waiting for the last round of data to come in on both the Pfizer and Moderna pediatric vaccines. There was hope that they would be ready to roll out as of this month, however current predictions place the potential time of authorization in May or a little thereafter.
According to a recent poll, roughly one-third of parents say that they plan/planned to get their child vaccinated immediately as soon as they are eligible, with the remainder taking a more cautionary “wait and see” approach or not planning on getting their children vaccinated at all.
With the decrease in cases, relaxing of safety measures, and reports of waning efficacy in the 5–11-year-old vaccine it’s easy for parents to feel that the pandemic is over or that there is no more cause for immunization. However, with low national vaccination rates in children under 11 years of age and children still representing roughly 20% of weekly reported COVID cases, it is still crucial to take safety measures and get children vaccinated to protect them from disease.
The CDC and the Journal of the American Medical Association, among others, provide very useful information below on hesitancy and how to talk to parents about vaccinating children.
The vaccine is currently approved for all people ages 5 and older in the United States.
To see the full blog post from Healthy Acadia on the importance of getting boosted, click here
Helpful links and sources: : Maine Calling: Dr. Nirav Shah, CNN Reporting on Second Boosters, CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shot Informational Page, CDC Difference Between Flu and COVID-19, John’s Hopkins School of Public Health COVID-19 Is Not the Flu, John’s Hopkins Medicine COVID-19 vs. the Flu 2022, NPR Report on Long COVID and Vaccination.
Thanks again everyone for checking in this week. Stay safe, and remember to take care of each other. ~ Nina
Nina Duggan is Healthy Acadia’s COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Project Coordinator. They share weekly updates about COVID-19 in the state of Maine and beyond, along with resources you may find useful on testing, vaccination, and best practices in preventative measures.
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If you or anyone you know have questions or concerns about COVID-19 or the available vaccines please call or text our COVID-19 Peer Support Line at 207-271-6023, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.