The executive orders have included a mask mandate, school guidance and other restrictions that were deemed necessary throughout the pandemic.
INDIANAPOLIS Gov. Eric Holcomb is willing to lift the public health emergency for COVID-19 that has been in place since March 6, 2020. That executive order has been renewed 20 times since it was put into place.
The executive orders have included a mask mandate, school guidance and other restrictions that were deemed necessary throughout the pandemic.
The most recent executive order, signed Oct. 29, noted a decrease in the number of cases of COVID-19 since the September spike, but also pointed to the state seeing more than 1,000 new cases and averaging 17 deaths daily.
The order also points out only 57.3% of eligible Hoosiers are fully vaccinated and that in the week leading up to the order, 830 of 834 new COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital were unvaccinated, 128 of 135 COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU were unvaccinated, and 153 of 168 COVID-19 deaths were unvaccinated individuals.
When extending the last state public health emergency for another 30 days, I asked my team to bring me a plan that would allow us to wind it down responsibly. They have presented me a plan that identifies three key items that must be preserved if I am to responsibly allow the state public health emergency to expire," Holcomb said in a statement released Tuesday.
Holcomb said he is working with Indiana Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray (R-Martinsville) and Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers) on passing three statutory changes. Holcomb said those changes would protect Hoosiers by allowing for the continuation of enhanced federal matching funds for Medicaid expenditures, the continuation of the enhanced benefit for those receiving federal food assistance and extend the ability to efficiently vaccinate our 5- to 11-year-olds.
A spokeswoman for Sen. Bray told 13News that Bray is continuing to "work with the governor and Speaker Huston on a way to end the emergency, but no details have been finalized at this time."
13News reached out to the governor's office for details on what would need to be included in those three areas and is waiting on a response.
November 15, 2021
A rare heart condition, myocarditis, may have you wondering, should I get the COVID vaccine? Should I get my child vaccinated?
To help us understand this heart condition and if there is substantial risk from COVID-19 or the vaccine, we connected with cardiologist Brett Sealove, M.D., chief of cardiology at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, and Meghan Tozzi, M.D., a pediatric cardiologist at the Joseph M. Sanzari Childrens Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center who is part of the Pediatric COVID Recovery Center team.
Myocarditis is the inflammation of the heart muscle and pericarditis is inflammation in the outer lining of the heart; both are typically a response to a viral infection.
Yes, you can get myocarditis from the COVID-19 virus.
In a study from the CDC, patients infected with COVID-19 were 16 times more likely to have myocarditis than patients without COVID-19.
The CDC has reported that heart inflammation is a rare side effect that can occur from the mRNA COVID vaccines, Pfizer or Moderna.
Cases reported have been seen more often in young males, after the second dose and within a few days after vaccination.
We have seen myocarditis in older children and young adults as a result of the vaccine, but even in the highest risk group, 16 to 29 year olds, the risk is one in 40,000, thats .003%, explains Dr. Tozzi.
The risk of getting myocarditis from getting vaccinated is markedly lower than getting myocarditis (or significantly ill) from the COVID virus itself, explains Dr. Sealove. The answer is, you want to prevent COVID infection in your body, including COVID potentially impacting your heart.
For children, the symptoms can be a bit unclear, as it can present in a similar way to things like a cold or other viruses, adds Dr. Tozzi. If your child has COVID-19 or recently received the vaccine, keep an eye on their symptoms and contact their doctor if you have any concerns.
Its usually fairly conservative watch, wait and have them recover on their own. Theres really no great remedy for treatment of myocarditis other than supportive care, explains Dr. Sealove. The vast majority of these cases recover on their own.
It is a rather mild version of myocarditis that develops after vaccination. Children tend to bounce back quickly, get better on their own and return to school in a few days, adds Dr. Tozzi. And again, the risk for myocarditis from the vaccine is very small, and expected to be an even lower risk in the five to 11 year old age group.
I would argue that getting vaccinated and vaccinating your children is the number one priority, rather than concern about a relatively low risk, reversible complication of vaccination, adds Dr. Sealove.
The benefit of being vaccinated, across the spectrum of the ages, appears to far outweigh the risk of myocarditis, concludes Dr. Sealove.
The material provided through HealthU is intended to be used as general information only and should not replace the advice of your physician. Always consult your physician for individual care.
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In Texas latest legal challenge targeting federal vaccination mandates, Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the Biden administration over its recent order requiring health workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Biden administration issued an emergency order, which went into effect Nov. 4, requiring eligible workers at health care facilities participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs to get the first shot of a two-dose vaccine or a one-dose vaccine by Dec. 6.
Paxton called the mandate an unprecedented federal vaccine decree on health care workers.
At a time when we need healthcare workers more than ever before, amid a harrowing worker shortage, the Biden Administration has prioritized this unlawful vaccine mandate over the healthcare of all Americans, Paxton said Monday night in a statement. We need healthcare workers, regardless of their vaccination status, and this decision puts us on track for an impending disaster within the healthcare industry.
Texas joins 10 other states suing the Biden administration over the mandate.
Paxtons lawsuit comes days after he sued the Biden administration over a different COVID-19 vaccination rule ordering big businesses to require their staff to get vaccinated or regularly get tested for the virus. Last month, Paxton filed a separate lawsuit against the Biden administration over its coronavirus vaccine mandate for federal contractors.
WATAUGA COVID-19 vaccinations for children 5 to 11 years old are on the rise approximately two weeks after the vaccine was approved by federal regulators for use in that age group.
Watauga County Schools held two vaccine clinics one on Nov. 10 and one on Nov. 13 which had all 300 appointment slots filled, according to WCS Superintendent Scott Elliott.
It has been a great team effort between Blue Ridge Pediatrics, Boone Drug, the health department and our school nurses, Elliott said.
According to AppHealthCare, 750 vaccinations have been administered in Watauga County to those 5 to 11 year olds as of Nov. 13. According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, about 19 percent of the population of 5-11 year olds in Watauga County have received their first dose.
According to AppHealthCare, NCDHHS is showing a different number of vaccinations for this age group due to the timing of entering data and then having it appear on the state website.
Vaccinating a 5 to 11 year-old protects that child from getting and transmitting COVID-19, said Dr. Scott St. Clair of Blue Ridge Pediatrics. The vaccine dramatically reduces the risk of more severe consequences such as hospitalization and chronic long COVID-19. Protecting children also protects parents, grandparents, friends and any other community members who may interact with that child. The vaccine also helps kids stay in school as they will avoid having to quarantine if they are a close contact of a COVID case.
Mira Waits had her two daughters 8 and 6 vaccinated at Blue Ridge Pediatrics, which she said was a wonderful experience.
It was a fairly easy decision for our family, Waits said. While I am grateful that children dont get as sick as adults with COVID-19, I see the COVID-19 vaccine as a far less risky decision to protect the health of my children than taking our chances with COVID-19, a disease that doctors are only beginning to understand the long-term effects of in all people, including children.
Waits said her younger daughter was ready to get her shot as Waits said she hoped it meant we can eventually stop masking. Her older daughter was nervous around needles, so Waits said they reviewed some educational programming like the Mystery Doug series that touch on the science of vaccines, which she said helped her process what was happening to make the whole experience easier.
Waits said both her daughters were a little sore around the area of the vaccine, but otherwise fine.
I have a great sense of relief now that they are vaccinated, Waits said. Over the course of this pandemic we have had a couple COVID-19 exposures from school and other activities, and so their vaccination will provide another layer of protection to mitigate their chances of contracting COVID-19. I do believe they are safer with the protections afforded by vaccination.
Waits said her older daughter said she agrees with the nurses at Blue Ridge Pediatrics who told her that the flu shot does feel worse than the COVID-19 shot, and that watching TV during the shot itself is a helpful way to get through it.
Adrienne Stumb had her 8-year-old daughter Maddie vaccinated at one of the clinics at Hardin Park, which Stumb said was well run and organized.
Stumb said her daughter felt no symptoms from the first dose except for some tenderness at the injection site. She said shots are not her daughters favorite thing, but she gave a big smile after she was done so she could send a picture to both sets of grandparents.
While the district has done well with keeping COVID-19 spread low, a 10 day quarantine for exposure is hard on students who need direct instruction, Stumb said. Fully vaccinated students do not have to quarantine with exposure unless they show symptoms. My husband and I felt this was the best way to make sure she gets consistent schooling, we protect her and those around her, and we are able to attend work and fulfill our own obligations.
Maddie Stumb said she thinks its important to get the shot so that she can see her friends in person again without masks.
Stumb said that parents have to make the best decision for their own children, but she thinks talking directly to their pediatrician is the best way to get thorough and factual information about vaccines.
Waits said that every family gets to make the decision that works for them, but her experience vaccinating her children assured her that the provider offering the vaccine are doing so with the health and safety of the communitys children in mind.
My daughters actually got vaccinated on different days. My older child wasnt feeling well at the time our original appointment was scheduled, so I called the advice nurse at Blue Ridge Pediatrics who advised me to wait until my daughter was feeling better to vaccinate. I took my younger daughter (to) our original appointment time, and the advice nurse helped me find another appointment time for my older daughter. This exchange really solidified for me that our medical providers have our best interest at heart, Waits said.
Nov 16, 2021 12:30 PM
Recently, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was authorized for children ages 5 to 11. As of today, 193 million people ages 12 and over have been safely vaccinated in the U.S. Although younger children are less likely to die or be hospitalized from COVID-19, recent statistics show why pediatricians and University of Utah Health experts support the vaccine for younger children.
In the U.S.:
When looking at the impact that COVID-19 has had on children, it is a lot more complex than comparing how sick young kids get relative to how sick older people get, said Andrew T. Pavia, MD, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at U of U Health and Director of the Hospital Epidemiology Program at Intermountain Primary Childrens Hospital. The amount of hospitalizations and deaths are still far more than a typical influenza would impact in the same time period. There is also a secondary impact on their mental health due to schools shutting down and their education being impacted.
Pavia explains those arent the only reasons children should be vaccinated. It also helps protect them from:
As a result, health experts encourage parents to weigh the risks of getting COVID-19 with the marginal risk of getting a complication after the vaccine. If you do so rationally, you can see that [children] have a much more severe outcome if [parents] do nothing than if they get the vaccine, Pavia said. If there was no benefit to children, we would be making a different decision. But we think that there is a benefit to them, their families, and the community.
A study of 3,200 children conducted by Pfizer shows that the vaccine was 90% effective at preventing symptoms of COVID-19 in 5 to 11-year-olds, and that their immune response was comparable to that in people 16 to 25 years old. Similar to what we see in other age groups, the side effects experienced were sore arms, redness of the arm, and sometimes swollen lymph nodes, fever, and chills. Inflammation of the heart (myocarditis) is a treatable but serious side effect that occurs very rarely in older teens and adults. Health experts think the smaller dose vaccine for kids 5 to 11 may reduce their risk of myocarditis, and there were no cases reported in in the clinical trials. However, these trials were not large enough to detect such rare events.
As the vaccine is distributed to millions of children, it is important to continue to monitor safety. The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) solicits reports of any potential illness that occurs after the vaccine has been administered without regard to whether it was associated with the vaccine or not. Then, Vaccine Safety Datalinkcomposed of 100 million people in the health care systemlook at the data and compare it to health records to see if the incidence and frequency at which people are developing a particular symptom can be linked to the vaccine. This system learned about the extremely rare blood clots that occurred with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, so it works extremely well. The same system is monitoring vaccine safety in children.
Children with underlying conditions are the ones who benefit the most from the vaccine since they are at higher risk for serious illness from COVID-19. Of the 3,200 children in the Pfizer study, 12% had underlying conditions and none had serious side effects from the vaccine. Data on the 193 million adults and older children that have already received the vaccine, many of whom had underlying medical conditions, also determined that there is no additional safety concern for this group.
Children who have common allergies to milk, pollen, or latex are not at increased risk of allergic reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine. Severe allergic reactions, or anaphylaxis, to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are very rare in adults, occurring at about 5 cases per million doses. People who have had a severe allergic reaction to the vaccine are allergic to a specific ingredient in the vaccine that is called polyethylene glycol (PEG). By the time a child reaches the age of 5, children who have had the recommended childhood vaccinations have already been exposed to this ingredient. If a child did not have a severe allergic reaction to those vaccines, that is a good indication that they would not be allergic to the Pfizer vaccine.
No. There is no biological reason that the vaccine would affect the signals from the brain or hormones that could affect puberty.
No. There is no evidence that antibodies made after COVID-19 vaccination or vaccine ingredients would cause any problems with becoming pregnant, now or in the future. In addition, studies have found no differences in the ability of people who were vaccinated to become pregnant.
With the vaccines that are available today, we know that any symptoms that occur usually happen within the first two to three months, and typically much sooner. It has been more than a year since people were first vaccinated in clinical trials, and no additional symptoms have emerged over time. Additionally, there is no biological reason to think that this could happen. For these reasons, it is unlikely that symptoms will occur three years later. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine prepared for children in the 5-11 age group is a lower dosage, at one-third the dose for adults. It is possible that there would be even fewer side effects due to the lower dosage.
We dont know the answer yet. This information can only be determined after assessing the lasting response to the vaccine once it has been administered to enough children in this age group.
Since COVID-19 vaccines are not 100% effective at preventing infection, some people who are fully vaccinated will still get COVID-19. However, even when fully vaccinated people develop symptoms, they tend to be less severe symptoms than in unvaccinated people. This means they are much less likely to be hospitalized or die than people who are not vaccinated.
Vaccination helps keeps children from spreading the virus in the community. If a substantial number of children get vaccinated, it will help get the pandemic under control.
If your childs disability is one that should not affect the vaccines ability to work, such as a neuromuscular condition that does not affect the immune system, then it is fine to send them back to school right away. If the disability does affect the immune system, such as if your child is undergoing a cancer treatment or has recently had an organ transplant, the vaccine may not work as well because they may not be able to build up a robust immune response. In that case, its best to talk to your pediatrician.
In many regions of the U.S., the virus is still very active due to substantial and high community transmission. In these areas, children and adults should continue to wear masks in high-risk situations including in crowded, indoor places where there may be people who are unmasked and unvaccinated. Such locations may include schools and restaurants.
The Pfizer vaccine is readily available in retail pharmacies and pediatrician offices. Go to vaccines.gov or call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 888-720-7489) to find a vaccine provider near you.
Make sure that you are vaccinated and encourage other people who are close to your child to get vaccinated. That will not only help further protect your children, but it will also help protect yourself and the people around you.
For the full press conference, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFctv9hkx_w
To listen to the full interview on Top of Mind with Julie Rose, visit https://www.byuradio.org/31137d4c-05bd-4ff4-a04f-06b3299f8f07
In late 2019 in Wuhan city, China, a novel betacoronavirus was found to be responsible for acute respiratory syndrome cases and was later termed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), which rapidly spread since it was first reported and was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11th of March 2020.
Study: Age and product dependent vaccine effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 infection and hospitalisation among adults in Norway: a national cohort study, January September 2021. Image Credit: YAKOBCHUK V/ Shutterstock
World healthcare systems were put under immense pressure with rising cases, leading to many countries imposing restrictions, such as mask-wearing and social distancing. However, these restrictions were only a temporary solution, and the need for pharmaceutical interventions, such as vaccines, was required.
The SARS-CoV-2 vaccines have been shown to exhibit high levels of protection against COVID-19, and the vaccine effectiveness (VE) increases with the severity of the outcome. VE against infection is lower than hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and death. Recent research has suggested that the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines offer 83% effectiveness collectively, with higher protection associated with the mRNA-based vaccines. However, VE may differ with virus variants, dose intervals, and population structure.
A team of researchers from various Norwegian institutions in this study quantified the general VE achieved in the population of Norway, with the realized mixture of vaccine types, current population characteristics, and epidemic trajectory and directly estimated VE across vaccine types and age groups. To evaluate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in Norway, the authors estimated the VE against COVID-19, COVID-19-related hospitalization, specifically looking at differences between age and vaccine regimen.
A preprint version of this study, which is yet to undergo peer review, is available on the medRxiv* server
In this study, there were 4,293,544 individuals included, of which 3,843,420 had received at least one dose of vaccine during the study period. Out of all the participants, 88,618 had been diagnosed with COVID-19, 2,752 were hospitalized due to COVID-19-related issues, 530 needed ICU admission, and 323 died due to COVID-19.
The overall VE in fully vaccinated individuals is 72.1% against infection and 92.9% against COVID-19 related hospitalization, adjusted for age, sex, pre-existing morbidities, location, nationality, and crowded living conditions. VE against infection in fully vaccinated was highest with a heterologous mRNA regimen (84.7%), followed by Spikevax (78.3%) and Comirnaty (69.7%), Vaxzevria with mRNA (60.7%), and two doses of Vaxzevria (43.4%). The authors could only estimate VE against hospitalization for Comirnaty and Spikevax, of which both displayed high effectiveness: 81.0% - 84.7% for partially vaccinated and 91.6% - 96.7% for fully vaccinated. Estimations of VE against hospitalization for the other vaccines were not possible because there were no hospitalizations in those who received the heterologous mRNA vaccine and too few with Vaxzevria during the study period.
There was a higher VE displayed in Spikevax against infection when compared to Comirnaty in those <65 years, those 65 years the confidence intervals overlapped. In the age groups in which VE could be estimated, the overall effectiveness of heterologous mRNA vaccine regimens was as high or higher than either mRNA vaccine separately. Within most of the age groups within this study, Vaxzevria administered in combination with mRNA vaccine was less effective against infection with SARS-CoV-2 when compared to other vaccine regimens.
The data collected in this study shows high VE against COVID-19 associated hospitalization, ICU admissions, and death among those who are partially and fully vaccinated, in all the age groups, and with all vaccine types. However, VE was lower among the partially vaccinated, and VE appeared to decrease in fully vaccinated individuals as age increased. Additionally, the highest protection was elicited in those who received a homologous Spikevax and heterologous mRNA regimen for the younger age groups.
To successfully combat COVID-19, appropriate prioritization and well-planned vaccine campaigns are essential, and this is only viable with updated knowledge on VE of realistic vaccination regimens achieved in large populations. The results collected from the adult Norwegians show high protection against severe complications associated with COVID-19 following the first dose of the vaccine. In all the regimens examined where at least one of the doses is an mRNA-based vaccination, protection against a SARS-CoV-2 infection appeared to be good. Overall, the results from this study support the use of heterologous schedules, increasing flexibility in vaccination policy.
medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
My 7-year-old received the first dose of his COVID-19 vaccine last week. There were some cheers and some tears (mostly mine, of happiness). Closing in on a year after the first vaccines began to be rolled out to health care workers, almost every group is now eligible for a dose. (Trials for children between six months and four years of age are still ongoing.)
After a long wait, COVID-19 vaccines are finally available for children ages 5 to 11 in the U.S. The Pfizer mRNA vaccine received the go-ahead from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Rochelle Walensky, M.D., M.P.H., on November 2, following recommendations from the CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and prior to that, positive reviews from the FDA and their Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC). The news couldnt come soon enough for many parents.
To date, more than 6 million children in the U.S. have had a confirmed COVID-19 infection, and while the risk of serious infections and death is lower in children than adults, more than 65,000 children have been hospitalized per CDC data. At least 5,500 of them have suffered from multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), and 48 deaths have been reported from this condition. Seven hundred children have died from COVID-19 in the United States. Furthermore, kids can readily transmit the virus to others, meaning vaccination can protect not only the individual child but the larger community.
My youngest had been anxiously awaiting this day. His older cousins were able to be vaccinated over the summer; his brother and sister (both over 18) received the vaccines in early spring, when my partner and I did. So hes long been the odd one out in our immediate family, and could not be more excited to get his COVID-19 vaccines.
Many other children (and their caregivers) have the same response.
My children have abstained from all in-person activities since March 2020 and were very excited to get vaccinated, says Theresa Chapple, Ph.D., an epidemiologist and local health department director whose 6- and 9-year-old children were able to get vaccinated shortly after the vaccine was authorized. My 3-year-old was mad the entire day that she was not able to get vaccinated. She wakes up daily asking if it is her turn yet.
He was a champ, Eric Green, Ph.D., an associate professor of the practice of global health at Duke University with a 7- and 3-year-old, says of his oldest, who received the vaccine recently. Happy to get his lollipop and do his part. Thankfully no side effects in the first 40 hours post.
Iowa pediatrician Amy Shriver, M.D., was able to get her 13-year-old vaccinated over the summer, but her 10-year-old was not yet eligible. When the COVID-19 vaccine was approved for children 12 years and older, I was thrilled, she says. When she got her first vaccine, I burst into tears of joy and relief.
For many who are on the front lines of COVID-19 response or research, the last year and half has been beyond difficult. Jillian Carmichael, Ph.D., is a virologist and mother of 2 children, ages 7 and 4; living in Queens during the New York City outbreak in 2020 in a 650-square-foot apartment, her husband and children spent 100 days in Oklahoma with family during 2020 while Dr. Carmichael stayed behind in the city to carry out research.
COVID-19 vaccinations for children ages 5-11 have been available for nearly two weeks and thousands of North Texas families have opted in.
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, as of Nov. 15, the following number of children between the ages of 5 and 11 had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine:
There are a number of clinics scheduled across the region offering vaccinations.
The latest news from around North Texas.
Biden announces sweeping new vaccine mandates for 100 million Americans
Speaking at the White House, Biden sharply criticized the roughly 80 million Americans who are not yet vaccinated, despite months of availability and incentives.
U.S. Navy sailors who refuse to comply with the coronavirus vaccine mandate will be discharged and could face other administrative actions.
"In order to ensure a fully vaccinated force, U.S. Navy policy is to process for separation all Navy service members who refuse the lawful order to receive the COVID-19 vaccination and do not have an approved exemption," the NAVADMIN said in a statement Monday.
The COVID Consolidated Disposition Authority, led by Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. John Nowell Jr. and Chief of Naval Reserve Vice Adm. John Mustin, will also separate sailors who fail to get the vaccine.Sailors who dont comply and are only separated for refusing the vaccine could receive as low as a general discharge under honorable conditions, Navy Times reported.
RELATED: 100-year-old WWII veteran receives almost 800 birthday cards: 'It's been amazing'
Active-duty sailors had until Nov. 14 to get their last dose of the vaccine, in order to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 28. Members of the Navy Reserve have until Dec. 14 to get their last dose of the vaccine.
Sailors who reject the vaccine could also lose education benefits, promotions and bonus pay.
Another Navy ship at sea has reported a coronavirus outbreak and is returning to port, the Navy said Friday.
"Bonuses, special pays and incentive pays become unearned when a Navy service member refusing the vaccine is no longer performing duties for which they are receiving such a bonus, special pay, or incentive pay," the NAVADMIN states.
"Navy service members refusing the vaccine who are in a frocked status should be defrocked as soon as feasible," the statement added.
Sailors who are denied religious or medical exemptions have five days to start the process of getting fully vaccinated or the Navy begins the separation process.
RELATED: Wounded veterans being recruited as baseball umpires in their communities
Ninety-six percent of active-duty sailors and 93 percent of the total force are fully vaccinated, according to data from the Navy on Nov. 10. The branch has not approved any religious exemption requests, Navy Times reported, and only six permanent medical exemptions were approved.
The Department of Defense announced in late August that all members of the military must get vaccinated, President Biden mandated that all federal employees be fully vaccinated by Nov. 22.
Read more of this story on FOX News.
Leigh Beeson| University of Georgia
If you got the COVID-19 shots back in early spring, your antibodies are likely waning. But its not something you need to be worried about, according to a new study from the University of Georgia.
Overall, antibody levels are decreasing, but their ability to protect against infection isnt, saidTed Ross, lead author and the director of UGAsCenter for Vaccines and Immunology. The quality is still there even if the total quantity has gone down.
Published in Frontiers in ImmunologysVaccines and Molecular Therapeutics, the study found that vaccination results in a significantly more robust immune response than seen in people who contracted the coronavirus naturally.
Vaccinated participants showed higher levels of neutralizing antibodies, which serve as lookouts for viruses and alert the bodys immune system when its been infected. These individuals antibodies were also more effective at binding with the virus, which prevents it from latching onto and infecting cells.
More: UGA to require some employees to get COVID-19 vaccine, be fully vaccinated by Dec. 8
Additionally, the study showed that for most people who were infected with the virus, a single shot of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine was enough to make them fully immune to the coronavirus. Some may require both shots to be fully protected, though, and theres currently no way to tell who does or doesnt. So, Ross recommends that everyone even those whove had COVID-19 receive the second shot. It doesnt hurt you to get the second one, he said.
The research is part of a large-scale, multi-year surveillance program with more than 3,100 participants, ranging from 18 to 90 years old. They give blood and saliva samples each month so the researchers can track their immune response to vaccination or natural infection.
The takeaway is that even if you have waning antibodies, the quality of those antibodies still protect you against severe disease and hospitalization, said Ross, who is also a professor in UGAsCollege of Veterinary Medicine. People were concerned that if you had waning antibody levels, you would become susceptible to the virus again. But right now that doesnt seem to be the case for most people.
The CDC recently recommended booster shots for older adults, those with underlying medical conditions and people who work or live in high-risk settings if they received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine series six or more months ago. The agency also encourages a booster for everyone who received the one-shot Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.
Some health care experts questioned whether booster access should be expanded to all due to the uncertainty surrounding the vaccines long-term efficacy in staving off disease.
But people who were vaccinated in the spring and dont qualify for a booster shouldnt panic.
Now I dont know what will happen in another six months or another 12 months, but right now, if you were vaccinated in the spring, you should still have protective antibodies in you, Ross said. The elderly tend to lose their immunity more quickly. We see that with influenza too. Thats why they have to get vaccinated again. Younger people can maintain it longer.
That being said, if youre eligible for a booster, go for it.
My attitude is that if youre offered one, you should get one. It cant hurt you, Ross said. And unfortunately, here in the U.S., many of the vaccines are being thrown away because they reached their expiration date. Its unfortunate that were not shipping them around the world to other people who need them, but if the alternative is throwing them away, I say get a booster shot.
In addition to getting the COVID-19 vaccine series, social distancing and wearing masks are still one of the most important ways to stop the spread of the disease.
This study was funded in part by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Co-authors include David Forgacs, Hyesun Jang, Rodrigo Abreu, Hannah Hanley, Jasper Gattiker and Alexandria Jefferson, all from UGAs Center for Vaccines and Immunology.
