Covid 19 Boosters

By: Melody Rabor-Dizon

 

(Excerpts from Health.com, CDC website, FDA website)

Here’s what you need to know regarding recent COVID-19 booster shots update:

Booster Shot Necessity

A COVID-19 vaccine booster shot is a vaccine that is administered months after the primary vaccine series. Essentially, a booster shot helps your immune system regain the defenses it needs to fight off a virus or another pathogen attacking your body. Because sometimes vaccines can lose effectiveness over time, like any other vaccines, people become more susceptible to a disease and its symptoms. According to CDC guidelines, the groups eligible for a second booster are people aged 50 years and older who had the first booster at least four months ago; people who have moderate or severe immunodeficiency, who are 12 years of age or older, and who got the first booster four months ago; and people who got two doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least four months ago. The second booster can only be the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at this time per CDC. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is not available as a booster, and the Moderna vaccine is available only for adults, ages 18 years or older.

Eligibility of Booster

For now, only adults over 50 and immunocompromised people can get a second COVID booster—but that’s expected to change soon. When receiving the primary series of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, you should get the same product for your second shot. But if you are eligible for a booster and are 18 or older, you can get either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, regardless of which one you received in your primary series.

Unvaccinated People

The government, top scientists, and infectious disease doctors agree that it’s important for everyone to get their COVID-19 shots. Vaccines are effective because they help prevent severe courses and the spread of disease. In tracking COVID-19 data, CDC found that in February 2022, unvaccinated adults ages 18 years and older were five times more likely to end up in the hospital than vaccinated adults. And people who are fully vaccinated and have received an additional or booster dose are the least likely to be hospitalized, according to CDC data from October 2021 to February 2022.

Fast Facts

• Most people who have received three COVID vaccines will likely be eligible for a fourth dose—a second booster—this fall.

• The new vaccine is expected to be bivalent, which means it will protect against the original strain of the virus and newer Omicron strains.

• Immunocompromised people and people over 50 were cleared to receive a second booster in March.

Updated bivalent vaccines are expected to roll out this fall—possibly as early as September. CDC claims that this vaccine will be available and in pretty wide use for the population as we gear up for potentially another cycle of surges as the weather gets colder and winter approaches. According to a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published by the CDC in July, a third dose of an mRNA vaccine provided additional protection in immunocompetent adults. Evidence has also shown that spacing out booster doses may provide stronger protection and added that with increasing duration since the last dose, people often get a better response for the booster. Sometimes when given too soon to someone who may not necessarily need it yet—like immunocompetent people over the summer—you may be administering it when their protection is still relatively high. It’s when that protection begins to wane, that a booster dose is most beneficial, per health advocates.

There’s also the issue of vaccine fatigue and confusion among many people. According to many public health officials believed it made the most sense to promote a second booster to more Americans with a new and improved product.

To reduce the risk that an infection may be missed, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now recommending that individuals using coronavirus antigen tests take at least three tests, instead of the previously recommended two tests to confirm negative result. The agency issued the updated recommendations as children across the country prepare to return to school and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) eased guidelines for quarantining after exposure to COVID-19. Implementation of new guidelines

“When you perform an at-home COVID-19 antigen test, and you get a positive result, the results are typically accurate,” the FDA press release explains. “However, if you perform an at-home COVID-19 antigen test, you could get a false negative result. This means that the test may not detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus that is in your nasal swab sample. This could happen if you test soon after you get an infection, especially if you don’t have COVID-19 symptoms. If you receive a false negative test result, you may unknowingly spread the SARS-CoV-2 virus to others”. Hence, the reason why repeat testing is important.” All at-home COVID-19 antigen tests are authorized for repeat or serial use. Individuals are being advised to use multiple tests over a certain period of time, such as two to three days. This approach is especially recommended for those who are not experiencing COVID-19 symptoms at the time of initial testing. “The FDA…is now asking that exposed individuals who are using at-home antigen tests to perform three tests on or after day five.

The FDA also pointed out that you do not need to use the same brand of test each time when repeat testing. The government agency’s website provides a list of all FDA-authorized home tests as well as additional information about who can use a test and at what ages.

The recommendations also advise those who’ve had a negative COVID test at a doctor’s office to follow-up with several at home tests. And that unvaccinated people no longer have to quarantine at home after being exposed to someone with COVID-19. In making its announcement, the CDC explained that the updated recommendations were designed to streamline guidance and make it more “reflective of the current state of the pandemic,” in which there are plenty of treatment and prevention options available, and the variant currently circulating typically does not cause as severe of illness.

“Previously those who were not up-to-date on vaccinations were recommended to practice social distancing by staying at least six feet away from others while indoors,” said Newman. “Now, CDC advises that people may want to avoid crowded areas or maintain a distance from others in order to minimize risk of exposure, though without the specific six-feet prescription.”

Folks, keep safe and healthy following guidance from CDC.