Your ultimate guide to proper hand-washing
When people ask how to protect themselves against the spread of COVID-19, one of the first suggestions from doctors is washing your hands. Here are the do’s and don’ts.
Finding an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the summer surge has been an exercise in futility for some consumers. Supplies of the current vaccine are spotty as pharmacies await the updated vaccines that target more recent variants.
The good news is that the Food and Drug Administration could approve the updated vaccines soon, which would be shipped to chain pharmacies in the weeks following such an announcement.
The timing of the COVID-19 vaccines largely mirrors annual influenza shots that roll out in the fall to protect against serious illness when flu peaks during the winter, experts say. But those most familiar with the disease say treating COVID-19 like the flu presents a major drawback. Using a seasonal cycle means the updated COVID-19 shots aren’t available to protect consumers when infections pick up in the summer.
That timing is imperfect, according to Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
COVID-19 is “like a two-humped camel,” Schaffner said. “COVID never goes away the way influenza does, and we always have an increase in the summer, then it kind of goes down in the fall, and then we have a much larger increase in the winter.”
FDA: Vaccines to be ready this fall
COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths have been on the upswing in recent weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nine Southeastern states reported moderate levels of hospitalization. Cases are increasing in parts of the Midwest. In Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine disclosed Tuesday that he has COVID-19 as the state experiences a summer surge.
Because COVID testing does not capture all cases, another way to track the spread of COVID-19 is to test wastewater. By that measure, the viral loads are “very high” in 32 states and the District of Colombia, the CDC said.
While hospitalizations and deaths are nowhere near the levels they reached early in the pandemic, infections still carry serious risks for many people.
Both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are awaiting FDA approval for their updated messenger RNA vaccines targeting the circulating variants. Novavax’s protein-based vaccines will give consumers a non-mRNA option, which might appeal to those who dislike or experience an adverse reaction to those vaccines.
An FDA representative said the federal agency is prohibited from disclosing the timing of approvals.
“The FDA anticipates taking timely action to authorize or approve updated COVID-19 vaccines in order to make vaccines available this fall,” said Carly Pflaum, an FDA press officer.
In June, a federal advisory panel recommended vaccine makers develop new candidates targeting the JN.1 lineage that has circulated this year. The current vaccines were built to resist XBB.1.5 but don’t provide as much protection against JN.1 and the sub-variants behind this summer’s surge.
While early in the COVID-19 pandemic the government bought and distributed vaccine shots, the end of the public health emergency ushered in a market-based approach. Vaccine makers had to anticipate demand and pharmacies went about purchasing shots based on what they thought customers would want.
While the CDC recommends updated vaccines for everyone six months and older, just 22.5% of adults and 14.4% of kids had updated their shots by mid-May.
As the virus became more pervasive as summer rolled out, manufacturers halted shipments of the current vaccine as they make space for the newer formulations pending possibly imminent FDA approval. While some wholesalers still have doses of the current vaccine on hand, some doctors and chain pharmacy locations might not have doses anymore. Consumers have begun airing complaints on social media about how much trouble they’ve had finding the boosters as they prepare for summer weddings and other social gatherings.
Some CVS locations have used up their inventory of COVID-19 shots and won’t restock, however, many stores still have doses on hand, a CVS spokesperson said, adding that consumers may search their retailer’s website to see which locations have available.
‘You have to be lucky’
The timing of your booster matters, experts say. Dr. Paul Offit, an infectious disease and vaccine expert who directs the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said vaccine effectiveness begins to wane after four to six months. People who get the updated vaccine this fall should have plenty of protection through the winter. Some might choose to get another shot before summer to extend their protection, Offit said.
The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has discussed strongly advising higher-risk groups such as older patients or those with compromised immune systems to get a second shot before summer. The committee will likely debate such a recommendation during its October meeting, Schaffner said.
If the advisory committee at this meeting recommends a pre-summer booster shot for next summer, it could give manufacturers and pharmacies a shot of confidence to make and stock enough doses to last during the summer until the new fall formulation arrives.
“You have to be lucky if you want to get a COVID booster right now to happen upon a pharmacy, clinic, or whatever, that happens to have the vaccine,” Schaffner said.
Rachel Carter is a health and wellness expert dedicated to helping readers lead healthier lives. With a background in nutrition, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being.
