Two vaccines, one visit. Protect yourself and loved ones by getting a free flu and COVID-19 shot. Join uson Monday, November 6, at Dorothy Day House.
The first and best way to protect against the flu and COVID-19 is to get vaccinated.Everyone 6 months and older is eligible for a flu shot, and everyone 5 years and older are eligible for the updated COVID-19 shot. Our vaccination pop-up is a quick and easy way to avoid getting sick.No appointment needed, and no ID or health insurance required. Some restrictions apply for COVID-19 vaccine eligibility.
Getting vaccinated helps protect children and people with compromised immune systems. Children younger than 5 years old have a greater chance of having problems with the flu, especially those with a long-term condition such as asthma and diabetes. People who have a chronic disease or weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe problems if they get the flu or COVID-19.
Where: 1931 Center Street, Berkeley, CA 94704
When: 8:30 am-9:45 am
Please feel free to call (510) 981-5350, or email the Public Health mailbox at phmailbox@berkeleyca.gov, with any questions.
This Good Practice Statement on the use of variant-containing COVID-19 vaccines was updated on the basis of advice by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization at its meeting on 28 September 2023.
In May 2023, the Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition (TAG-CO-VAC) recommended moving away from including the ancestral strain in future COVID-19 vaccine formulations. The reasons for adopting a monovalent variant-containing approach to target current and emerging variants can be found here.
The updated recommendations made by TAG-CO-VAC and this Good Practice Statement synthesize current evidence on variant-containing COVID-19 vaccines, notably those containing XBB. This document contains some off-label recommendationsa .
In this document, the terms primary series and initial doses are used interchangeably, and so are the terms additional doses and booster doses.
Background and methods
Globally, population-level immunity against SARS-CoV-2 has increased substantially due to widespread COVID-19 vaccine-derived immunity, SARS-CoV-2 infection-derived immunity, or a combination of both (hybrid immunity). Meanwhile, significant reductions in severe disease and death related to SARS-CoV-2 have been observed across all age groups. As such, most countries have lifted many or all of their public health measures.
In the fourth year of the pandemic, new SARS-CoV-2 subvariants continue to circulate globally, leaving vulnerable populations at continued risk of severe SARS-CoV-2 disease and death. The spike protein of SARSCoV-2 continues to diverge from the ancestral strain.
After Omicron emerged in November 2021, earlier variants (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta) disappeared from humans. By May 2023, global prevalence was dominated by Omicron subvariants including XBB.1.5, XBB.1.16 and XBB.1.9. More recently, additional Omicron subvariants have emerged, such as EG.5 and BA.2.86.
While Omicron and its subvariants have led to less severe disease than the ancestral strain, there have been surges in hospitalization and death in vulnerable populations due to elevated community transmission and periodic waves of infections.
WHO conducted a rapid review of current evidence on XBB variants and monovalent XBB vaccines retrieved from scientific publications, preprints, and data provided by manufacturers (1-3). The following topics were reviewed:
immune evasion in humans;
variant-adapted vaccines: humoral and cell-mediated immune responses following vaccination and/or infection in humans and animals;
vaccine effectiveness; and
vaccine safety.
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Flu season has arrived in the Rio Grande Valley as county health officials are beginning to see an uptick in cases.
Dr. Ivan Melendez, the Hidalgo County health authority, reassured that the increase is not out of the ordinary. In fact, Melendez explained that last year the county had seen a larger uptick that later leveled off as flu season continued.
Melendez confirmed that as of Friday afternoon, there are 22 people currently in the hospital with the flu and only 20 patients with COVID-19.
Its a bit of a first since the pandemic to see flu activity sending more people to the hospital than the coronavirus.
For the first time in a long time, we had more people in the hospital with flu than with COVID, Melendez said Friday.
Although he explained that in previous years the flu reached its max case numbers around January, in recent years, however, Melendez and his team have noticed something different occurring.
I think the patterns are changing after COVID, Melendez said, adding that recent weather changes from 100 degrees or more one day to a drastic drop in temperature another day may also play a role in case numbers.
However, there is no need to panic, he said.
According to Melendez, the current flu vaccine is effective in combating the influenza variant present in South Texas.
He is encouraging all Valley residents to get the flu shot.
If there is a disease and there is really no cure for it then all you can do is prevent it, and what better prevention than the vaccine, Melendez said.
For those looking for a place to receive their flu shot, visit sanofiflushots.com.
As the United States heads into the cold-weather months, respiratory virus season has also arrived, with cases of influenza and COVID-19 likely to increase.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently recommends that everyone 6 months and older stay up-to-date and get a flu vaccine and a COVID vaccine, and that it's safe to get both at the same time.
"For flu and COVID, not only does the vaccine reduce...the chance of getting sick, it certainly - even for those people who get sick - reduces their chance of getting severely sick," Dr. Cameron Wolfe, a professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at Duke University School of Medicine, told ABC News.
Here's what you need to know about what vaccines are available, and who is eligible to receive them:
For COVID-19, there is an updated vaccine that's formulated to target variants that are currently circulating that are related to XBB, an offshoot of the Omicron variant.
There are formulations made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna for those aged 6 months and older, and a formulation made by Novavax for those aged 12 and older.
"There's a different number of doses that you have to get depending on how many vaccines you've already received in the past," Dr. Shivanjali Shankaran, an associate professor in the department of internal medicine in the division of infectious diseases at Rush University in Chicago, told ABC News.
For those who are between 6 months and 4 years old, the CDC recommends getting two doses of Moderna or three doses of Pfizer if they are unvaccinated. If they've been previously vaccinated, the CDC recommends one or two doses of Moderna or Pfizer, depending on the previous number of doses.
For those aged 5 to 11, the CDC recommends one dose of either Moderna or Pfizer, regardless of previous vaccination status.
When it comes to Americans aged 12 and older, it's recommended that those who are unvaccinated receive one dose of Pfizer or Moderna or two doses of Novavax. Those who have been previously vaccinated are recommended to receive one dose of the Pfizer, Moderna or Novavax updated vaccine.
Those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised may require more doses.
"There's the gain for any individual by taking the vaccine and there's the most gain for people who are immunosuppressed, have heart or lung conditions, or older adults," Wolfe told ABC News. "You know, if you're a 25-year-old who lives with a patient who's had a lung transplant, this is not a bad thing for you to get. In fact, it would be highly encouraged."
For the majority of those aged 6 months and older, the CDC recommends receiving the standard quadrivalent flu vaccine, which protects against four different strains of the virus. If this is an infant or child's first time getting a flu vaccination they should get two doses this season, each at least four weeks apart.
However, for those who are aged 65 and older, the CDC recommends getting one of three vaccines: the high-dose flu shot, the adjuvanted flu shot, or the recombinant flu vaccine, all of which are quadrivalent.
The high-dose shot contains four times the amount of antigen - that is, the protein molecule identified with the virus - to trigger a stronger immune response, while the recombinant shot contains three times the amount of antigen. The adjuvanted shot is made with an ingredient - an adjuvant - that helps create an even stronger immune response.
"There is a broadly available shot, of course, [ but] there is a high-dose vaccine that's a stronger dose and provides that additional protection, because those who are older in age have more of a challenge to mount an effective response. So getting that high-dose shot or adjuvant is important, because it can provide that critical protection," said Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and chief innovation officer at Boston Children's Hospital and ABC News contributor.
Traditionally, flu vaccines are made using an egg-based manufacturing process, so if someone has an egg allergy they can instead receive the cell-culture-based flu vaccine, which uses influenza viruses grown in cell cultures rather than in eggs. However, the CDC says the standard vaccine should be safe to receive, even for those allergic to eggs.
"The flu vaccines that are available this year are safe to be taken if you do have an underlying egg allergy," Shankaran said. "As long as someone can monitor you, which I think most places do, anyway."
There is also a nasal spray flu vaccine, made with a live modified virus, which can be given to those between ages 2 and 49. It's specifically not recommended for those who are immunosuppressed or pregnant.
Health officials typically suggest getting the flu shot by Halloween but stress that it's never too late, because the flu season can last into the spring months.
In addition to the vaccines that are now available, there are several clinical trials for both flu and COVID vaccines that are currently undergoing clinical trials.
This includes a flu vaccine from Pfizer using mRNA technology, which was used to develop the COVID-19 vaccine. There's also an mRNA universal flu vaccine, developed by researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Vaccine Research Center.
Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax are also all working to develop a combination COVID-19 and flu vaccine that would offer protection from both viruses in a single shot.
"I do think that having a combo shot - if the clinical data suggests that it's safe and effective, clearly - will be more appealing to people to have things available in a single shot as opposed to multiple shots, especially if it's challenging for people now that they're trying to chase both COVID and flu vaccines, and maybe not always available at the same time," said Brownstein. "It creates convenience, and potentially just more ease of administration overall, and hopefully reduced costs."
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) is advising all residents that they are eligible for a new, updated COVID-19 vaccine and now is the time to get vaccinated against COVID and flu to reduce the chance of getting very sick or having to cancel plans this holiday season.
It is important to note that unless a person has been vaccinated since Sept. 2023, they are not up to date with their COVID-19 boosters. They should consider getting the updated vaccine soon to increase protection from severe illness before gathering with family and friends for Thanksgiving. It may take up to two weeks for the body to build-up maximum protection against COVID-19 after vaccination, so it is good to plan ahead.
Vaccines provide protection from infectious diseases that can lead to severe illness for individuals, especially those who are more vulnerable. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the first 10 months that first COVID-19 vaccines became available, they saved more than 200,000 lives and prevented more than 1.5 million hospitalizations in the United States.
In Los Angeles County, more than 540,000 doses of the updated COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, and among people 65 and older, 15 % have received the newest COVID-19 vaccine. For people ages 12 to 64, uptake is currently lower, about 5 %. Public Health is working to make sure more people know about the updated vaccine, its benefits and that they are eligible.
In Los Angeles County over the past 30 days, people who were vaccinated against COVID-19 were three times less likely to be hospitalized and 3.4 times less likely to die. While many people in Los Angeles County recognize the benefits of the vaccine, there may be confusion on whether this updated vaccine is needed.
Unfortunately, just like protection from a previous COVID-19 infection wanes over a few months, scientists have learned that vaccine protection also wanes over time. Similar to flu, because different strains of COVID-19 virus circulate each year, updated vaccines are needed to maximize protection. This is especially true for those who are most likely to experience severe illness if infected, including people who are older, very young children and people with chronic or underlying health conditions.
The updated vaccine is for everyone six months and older, made to target strains that are circulating now, specifically the XBB lineage of the Omicron variantwhich accounts for 99 % of sequenced specimens in Los Angeles County.
As of the most recent specimen sequencing in Los Angeles County, the XBB sub strain EG.5 accounted for 35 % of sequenced specimens. The next most dominant strain was HV.1, a descendant of EG.5, accounting for 8 % of sequenced specimens followed by XBB.2.3 and XBB.1.16.6, each accounting for 7 % of specimens.
Public Health encourages residents to have conversations with friends and family and make sure they know they are eligible for the updated vaccine. Mobile vaccine teams are out in the county and are listed in search at myturn.ca.gov.
If Los Angeles County residents have questions about vaccines, where to get vaccination or how to get tested, the Public Health Call Center remains open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to answer COVID-19-related questions at 1-833-540-0473. Public Health staff can connect callers with resources and help people schedule vaccination appointments, including in-home vaccinations for those that are homebound.
In Los Angeles County, based on data through Oct. 21, the CDC Hospital Admission Level is Low at 4.2 new COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 people.
Public Health reports COVID-19 data weekly.
The mRNA discovery remains, for some, controversial but for others it has thrown the Medical Research door wide open.
The 2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine went to Katalin Karik and Drew Weissman.
The Prize Motivation: For their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.
The concept of messenger-RNA has been around since the 1960s. Many researchers worked on the concept. There is no Nobel for mRNA alone.
What Kariko and Weissman did was find a way to make mRNA work.
Their mRNA discovery remains, for some, controversial but for others it has thrown the Medical Research door wide open. The utilization of mRNA to fight auto-immune diseases like Lupus to attack cancer tumours and to develop therapeutics to fight viral diseases is unimaginable.
Medical Science Discovery Builds on Medical Science Discovery
Discoveries are often not recognized as significant at the time they are presented but collectively, they pay off. For example, the 1910 research by Francis Peyton Rous showed that some tumours, (some cancers) were caused by an unknown. In the 1930, when Virology was legitimized, researchers began looking back at research that had mysterious unknowns as the cause. The work of Francis Peyton Rous came back into focus. The unknown was a virus.
Looking back for clues is why researchers do a Review of Literature. This can often lead to that.
Francis Peyton Rous received the 1966 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 56 years after his research. The Rous Nobel Prize motivation, for his discovery of tumour-inducing viruses.
That 1910 Rous research has opened the door for 2023 research that utilizes mRNA to fight certain cancers.
All this thanks to curious researchers; a 1960s idea and a 2003 breakthrough by a couple of persistent Bio-chemists that led to the development of a new type of Vaccine in 2020 to fight the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
A specific audience needs this information the mostand here's why the vast majority of Americans shouldn't be dissuaded.
Getting the flu and COVID shots on the same day is a great way to kill two birds with one stoneprotecting yourself and the people you come into contact with from these infections, all while maybe taking the following day to put your feet up and rest off any vaccine side effects.
If you heard about the recent Food and Drug Administration(FDA) report that raised concerns about a potential increased risk of stroke when COVID-19 and flu vaccines are both administered within a two-month period, a newer discovery stresses that its important to clarify what the findings actually indicate.
Earlier in 2023, through a Medicare monitoring system that was designed to spot vaccine-related issues, the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were alerted to a potential uptick in strokes among adults aged 65 and older who received both COVID and flu vaccines. However, this observed risk couldnt be consistently replicated in other monitoring systems, and several additional studies didnt show a similar risk.
A more detailed examination of the data revealed that the risk of stroke was only elevated when older adults received a specific COVID vaccine along with the high-dose or adjuvanted influenza vaccine, which are typically given exclusively to people over 65 or with compromised immune systems to enhance vaccine protection.
Its worth noting that the increased risk was considerably low, affecting about three individuals out of every 100,000 vaccinated. Also, this elevated risk was primarily seen in those aged 85 and older. The study pointed to the high-dose flu vaccine as the likely contributor to this connection, although the increase in stroke risk associated with it was minimal.
So, should older adults skip their COVID and flu vaccines due to this study? The answer is a resounding no. Cleveland Clinic cardiologist Steven Nissen, MD, told CNN the associated risk of stroke in seniors is trivial in comparison to the risk for people over 85 of dying from COVID.
The FDA emphasizes that it remains crucial for older adults to receive both the flu shot and COVID boosters, despite the findings of this study. In a statement, the FDA told ABC News that it was confident in the safety, effectiveness and quality of the COVID-19 vaccines that the agency has authorized and approved The review conducted in this preprint paper is part of our ongoing safety surveillance efforts, which utilize a variety of data sources. The CDC also told the network that current vaccination guidelines had not changed in light of the study.
Vaccination is also important because both COVID and the flu can independently increase the risk of stroke and other serious health issues. Research on COVID has consistently highlighted the risk it poses to the heart and cardiovascular system. As Dr. Michelle Olive, of of NIHs National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, stated in a National Institutes of Health (NIH) report: Since the early days of the pandemic, we have known that people who had COVID-19 have an increased risk for cardiovascular disease or stroke up to one year after infection.
The American Heart Association (AHA) also points out that inflammation, whether from the flu or COVID, can heighten the risk of stroke, even among younger people, which is why it recommends both vaccines.
Recognizing the signs of a stroke is crucial for saving lives. The AHA recommends using the acronym F.A.S.T to identify stroke symptoms and promptly call for emergency assistance:
F: For facial drooping or an unbalanced appearance, which can be a sign of stroke.
A: For arm weakness, particularly on one side. A person may be asked to raise both arms, and if theres an issue, stroke may be suspected.
S: For speech difficulties, as someone having a stroke might speak words that are disconnected or incoherent.
T: Stands for time, emphasizing the urgency of seeking help for a suspected stroke. As some medical professionals who specialize in stroke treatment say, Minutes matter. Every minute that passes in the face of possible stroke represents the danger of greater permanent damage to the brain. Its inarguably better to have a false alarm than to delay potentially life-saving action.
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This article was originally published by Contagion Live. This version has been lightly edited.
In the general population, hybrid immunity, from both natural infection with COVID-19 plus COVID-19 vaccination, has been shown to confer more durable immunity. This is of particular interest in vulnerable populations who are ineligible for vaccination; notably, newborns and infants younger than 6 months.
The doctor makes a revaccination of a pregnant girl against coronavirus and influenza. Prophylaxis | Image Credit: HENADZY - stock.adobe.com
Data presented at IDWeek 2023, which took place October 11-14, in Boston, Massachusetts, demonstrated that natural infection alone in pregnant mothers does not confer durable immunity in their infants, suggesting that maternal vaccination may provide better protection to these infants in the months prior to their own vaccine eligibility.1
The study, presented by Sylvia M. LaCourse, MD, MPH, associate professor of global health and endowed chair, Medicine - Allergy and Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, included 107 pregnant participants, with a mean (SD) age of 32 years, who had experienced COVID-19 infection during pregnancy. The status of anti-Spike (anti-S) immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies and neutralizing antibodies was evaluated through blood sample draws at several timepoints: during pregnancy, at delivery or birth, at less than 3 months postpartum, and 3 to 6 months postpartum.
Among the participants, 27% were asymptomatic, 71% had mild to moderate COVID-19 severity, and 2% experienced severe symptoms. Two participants were hospitalized and 7 received treatment related to COVID-19 infection. At time of delivery or birth, 35% of the participants remained unvaccinated, 27% were vaccinated, and 35% had received a booster, with 3% having partial vaccination. Overall, 65% of participants had hybrid immunity (vaccination plus infection) at time of delivery or birth.
Blood tests revealed that unvaccinated mothers and their infants were less likely to have anti-S IgG+ antibodies (87% maternal, 86% infant cord blood) at birth vs those who were vaccinated (100% maternal and infant cord blood; all P .01). Results were similar for neutralizing antibodies (86% and 75%, respectively, vs vaccinated maternal: 100% for all; all P .01).
At age younger than 3 to 6 months, the percent of infants delivered to unvaccinated months with anti-S IgG+ antibodies and neutralizing antibodies dropped to 50% and 14%, respectively, compared with infants delivered to mothers with hybrid immunity, who remained at 100% across both measures (all P < .01). Overall, infants born to unvaccinated mothers with anti-S IgG+ antibodies or neutralizing antibodies displayed lower median antibody levels at birth and through their first 6 months of life compared with infants born to vaccinated mothers.
Notably, those who were vaccinated during pregnancy appeared to have more efficient transplacental transfer of anti-S IgG+ antibodies and neutralizing antibodies vs natural infection alone (anti-S IgG+ antibodies: 97% vs 73%; P <.01; neutralizing antibodies: 86% vs 54%; P = .02), again suggesting that hybrid immunity may confer a greater level of protection to infants.
These findings are in line with conclusions from similar studies, including the MOMI-VAX study2 published in Vaccine earlier this year, which also demonstrated the advantage of a booster dose on antibody levels in both mothers and their cord blood. What's yet to be seen is more clear guidance on timing of vaccination/boosters that may confer the greatest amount of protection to mothers and their newborns.
References
1. LaCourse SM, Wetzler EA, Aurelio MC, et al. Maternal hybrid immunity to SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy provides more durable infant antibody responses compared to natural infection alone. Presented at: IDWeek 2023. October 11-14, 2023; Boston, MA. Abstract 2079. 2. Munoz FM, Posavad CM, Richardson BA, et al. COVID-19 booster vaccination during pregnancy enhances maternal binding and neutralizing antibody responses and transplacental antibody transfer to the newborn. Vaccine. 2023;41(36):5296-5303. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.06.032
Oct 31, 2023 9:28 am EST | Updated Oct 31, 2023 2:14 pm EST
WILMINGTON, MA The Wilmington Health Department will hold a flu vaccine clinic at Town Hall at 121 Glen Road from 3 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 1.
Appointments are available for residents 5 and up. Registration is required.
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More information is available via the Town of Wilmington.
The Massachusetts Department of Public recommends annual influenza vaccination for everyone 6 months and older with any licensed, age-appropriate flu vaccine (IIV, RIV4, or LAIV4) with no preference expressed for any one vaccine over another.
For people 65 years and older, the department noted that three flu vaccines are preferentially recommended: Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent vaccine, Flublok Quadrivalent recombinant flu vaccine, and Fluad Quadrivalent adjuvanted flu vaccine.
More information is available via the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
