C.D.C. Recommends New Covid Vaccines for All Americans
The organization stated that individuals who are 6 months old or more should acquire a minimum of one dose.
On September 12, 2023, at 6:15 p.m. Eastern Time, the blog section was updated.
On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised that all Americans who are 6 months of age or older should receive at minimum one shot of the newest Covid vaccines. This is the final of three vaccines designed to deter another increase in respiratory illnesses during the upcoming fall and winter season.
On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration granted their approval for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Covid vaccines that have been reformulated. Scientific advisers for the C.D.C. then held a meeting on Tuesday where they reviewed the data and voted in favor of recommending the use of the vaccines. It is expected that major pharmacies will soon make the updated vaccines available for administration later on this week.
Flu and respiratory syncytial virus vaccines are readily available. To be on the safe side, it's recommended that everyone from 6 months of age and up get the flu vaccine whilst those who are over 60 should consider getting the R.S.V vaccine after speaking with a healthcare provider.
During a gathering on Tuesday, a few consultants who were aiding the C.D.C. confessed that they were uncertain about proposing the novel Covid vaccines to adolescent people, or had concerns about plausible aftermaths particularly in boys and young males.
Some people expressed concern about recommending the vaccines to all Americans, as they feared it could weaken the message that priority should be given to those most susceptible to Covid-19, such as elderly individuals.
However, the committee ultimately gave their support for the approval of the new vaccines for all individuals. They based their decision on information indicating that the dangers of Covid, both in the short and long term, exist regardless of age.
Dr. Beth Bell, an expert in global health from the University of Washington, stated that vaccinating people of all ages will effectively stop severe sickness and fatalities.
The group suggested guidelines only for the latest versions of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines against Covid. The appropriate amount and timing of doses are based on age and previous vaccinations, yet the majority of people in the United States ought to be given at least one dose, according to the experts.
The rules will be broadened to incorporate an additional vaccination produced by Novavax, as well as any others sanctioned by the F.D.A. in the next few months. This injection could be an appropriate substitute for those who are unable to receive mRNA vaccines, such as Pfizer's and Moderna's.
Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, the C.D.C.'s Acting Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, expressed his optimism that making the Novavax vaccine more accessible will be easier once the F.D.A. scrutinizes and potentially approves it.
On Tuesday, Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax informed the C.D.C. that their new Covid vaccines would cost between $120 and $130 per dose. However, most Americans will be able to receive the vaccinations for free until December 2024. This can be accessed through private insurers or a newly established federal program designed for individuals with no insurance coverage.
There are people in the United States who are eagerly awaiting the arrival of vaccines to fight against Covid. Since July, there has been a continuous increase in the number of people getting admitted to hospitals and the number of deaths related to Covid. However, when compared to other years, the numbers are still relatively low.
A lot of people nowadays consider Covid to be not very dangerous. Less than 50% of individuals who are over 65 years old and about 20% of adults in America as a whole chose to get the two-fold additional vaccination that was available last autumn. (The C.D.C. has stated that the old booster vaccination should not be used, and has been replaced by a new one.)
Renowned specialists have suggested that the individuals who are most susceptible to disease in the United States should get vaccinated against both Covid and the flu. This category includes older people, those who have compromised immune systems, and women who are pregnant. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (C.D.C.), people aged 65 or more were responsible for approximately 85% of flu-related deaths in previous years.
According to information shared by Dr. Fiona Havers, who is in charge of the C.D.C.'s respiratory disease-related hospitalization monitoring programs, there is a consistent increase in the number of Covid hospitalizations for adults aged 75 years and above, which is two to three times higher than the number recorded for the 65 to 74 age group, who are relatively younger.
According to Dr. Havers, the majority of adults who were admitted to the hospital had various pre-existing conditions. American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Black Americans have the highest rates of hospitalization, which serves as an indicator of serious illness.
Dr. Oliver Brooks, who is an adviser to the C.D.C and also the chief medical officer at Watts HealthCare Corporation in Los Angeles, has stated that African Americans, even at a young age, are more likely to have pre-existing medical conditions that can result in them being hospitalized, admitted to the ICU, or even passing away. Therefore, it's crucial that they receive the vaccine in order to protect themselves.
The fresh immunizations were created to aim the Omicron variant XBB.1.5, which was the prevailing virus at the start of this year. During that time, medical experts had to determine the contents of a future vaccine for autumn.
Although the XBB.1.5 strain is only responsible for a small percentage (3%) of cases, its closely related variants make up over 90% of the cases currently circulating. However, encouraging data presented at the meeting on Tuesday suggests that the new vaccines are effective against all of these variants.
Similar to the flu shot, people who are at a greater risk may benefit the most from receiving the Covid vaccine. However, even people who are at a lower risk of contracting the virus may still experience advantages such as recovering faster from an infection or having to miss fewer work days. Dr. Ashish Jha, the previous White House Covid coordinator, has stated this.
Individuals who possess hybrid immunity, resulting from both prior infection and immunization, possess the greatest degree of protection. However, evidence presented at the gathering showcases that immunity in all forms gradually diminishes over time.
Dr. Havers reported that majority of individuals, both children and grown-ups, who were admitted to the hospital due to Covid since January 2023 had not taken the latest booster shot.
Sharon Saydah, a researcher from the C.D.C, mentioned to the scientific panel that even those who are relatively youthful and fit, Covid can bring about severe health consequences. These consequences can emerge months to years after the initial illness and affect organs such as the heart in the long run.
During a recent presentation, Dr. Saydah shared some early projections from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey. According to the data, adults between the ages of 35 and 49 are experiencing the greatest occurrence of symptoms following Covid-19. Roughly 9% of this age group reported ongoing health issues at least three months after experiencing an initial illness.
As time passes, the proportion of individuals who experience persistent symptoms decreases. Additionally, the prevalence of persistent symptoms seen in the Omicron variant is lower than in previous iterations of the virus.
Authorities in the United Kingdom are exclusively providing Covid immunizations to individuals who have a greater risk of contracting the virus. These groups include older individuals, people with prolonged medical problems, and frontline employees. They arrived at this conclusion not by analyzing who would derive the most benefit from the vaccine, but rather because it would be too expensive for the UK government to provide the shots to everyone. This was disclosed by Dr. Jha.
If you can't or don't want to travel back and forth between the clinic or pharmacy to separate the shots, experts suggest getting all the shots at once. However, some experts advise that if you can manage to do so, timing your shots may offer the best protection.
According to Dr. Jha, February is usually the time when influenza is at its highest. It is his suggestion to older individuals that they wait until October before getting vaccinated in order to have a greater safeguard against the virus. It is important to receive the vaccine before Halloween to avoid being unprepared, but sometime in October is a sensible timeframe to do so.
The previous year, Dr. Jha, who is 52 years old, chose to receive both the Covid and flu vaccinations simultaneously. "I received one shot in each arm," he shared. "While my arms were slightly tender for 24 hours, it was completely tolerable."
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