Omicron Variant: Why You Shouldn’t Wait To Get the COVID-19 Booster

Yes, a new version of the COVID-19 vaccine may be ready to undertake a new one Omicron variant In the next 100 days or so. But no, Utahns shouldn’t postpone booster shots against deadly viruses, Intermountain Healthcare infectious disease doctors said Tuesday.

“There are a lot of ifs out there, and now we’re challenging the Delta,” said Dr. Eddie Stenehem, who was just discovered at a virtual press conference by the region’s largest healthcare provider. I told reporters about the Omicron variant of. Detected in the United States.

For the Omicron mutant first identified in South Africa, behind the surge in viral cases in Utah and other states, such as whether it is highly infectious, leads to more serious illness, or is highly resistant to vaccines. Little is known than some delta variants. summer.

Both Pfizer and Moderna are considering developing vaccines for the Omicron variant, and the new technology used will enable rapid conversion in “about 100 days” of product launch, Stenehjem said. It says that it will be.

But he said Utah is already in Utah and needs to focus on variants that have caused 20 new deaths in the state since Monday. The Utah Department of Health also reported 1,195 new COVID-19 cases in the state, Impact of Thanksgiving holidays It is not expected to start appearing in the count until the end of the week.

“I would recommend people to get a booster now. Let’s see how this works in Omicron in terms of its popularity in the United States and its impact,” said the doctor. I did. He said modeling suggested that there could be a post-holiday decline in the Utah case before new varieties “potentially scary” emerged.

Utah was in the country COVID-19 hotspot, However, unlike the sharp decline experienced by Idaho and several other states following spikes fueled by the Delta variant, the number of cases is more or less stuck at a high level.

That is, hospital beds continue to be overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients, most of whom are unvaccinated. According to new data released by Intermountain Healthcare for 24 hospitals in Utah and surrounding states, 85% of all COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated and have increased to 87% in intensive care units.

The breakthrough cases of Utahn, where the virus landed in hospitals, tend to be older, medically vulnerable residents who are unable to raise their immune levels, but booster shots are mostly initially promised by vaccines. Helps to return to the high level of protection that has been given.

“Boosters are very important,” said Stenehjem.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Expanded list Governor Spencer Cox said on Monday that everyone over the age of 18 had a percentage of people who “should” take COVID-19 booster shots instead of “can”. Released qualifications in Utah Earlier this month, he told all adults that everyone in the state was at risk and needed a shot.

“We were in the camp for a few weeks now,” said Tom Hudachiko, a spokesman for the Utah Health Department. Adults in Utah can choose the vaccine as booster 6 months after the first two doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or two months after the first dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Hudachko said Utahns, who is considering postponing booster shots until it becomes clear how effective they are against the new variant, should think again.

“It doesn’t make sense to wait and see. There are many illnesses out there that you can protect yourself. And protecting yourself from what is currently circulating will circulate in the community in the future. It may or may not make much more sense than what it might not be, “he said.

Han Kim, a professor of public health at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, said he was confident that existing vaccines would fight the Omicron variant.

“The vaccine is probably still very effective,” Kim said. “People should be advised to be vaccinated if not vaccinated and boosters if vaccinated.”

The professor said the emergence of new variants should remind us that “it’s only a matter of time” before the delta variants are dominated. He said people need protection against COVID-19, even if it turns out not to be the case with the omicron variant.

“Now we’re in the midst of a surge in just an old delta. Omicron, that is, again, we don’t know much about it. People are wary as it grows with the delta. I think we need to, “Kim said, advising Utan who wants to safely celebrate the holidays and get booster shots right away. It takes two weeks to be fully effective.

Despite the emergence of Omicron variants, the Salt Lake County Health Department has not seen an increase in demand for COVID-19 booster shots, said department spokesman Nicholas Lap. He said the department did not plan to promote vaccines differently until more was known about their effectiveness against new variants.

“We continue to emphasize that the entire series of vaccines and boosters will continue to be the most effective way to protect yourself and those around you from serious illness. All signs are It shows that existing vaccines provide some protection against Omicron, “Wrap said.

The degree of protection that the vaccine provides against new mutants is currently unknown, but he states: Extensive vaccination also helps prevent COVID from further evolving into additional variants of concern. “