New York is currently demanding COVID-19 boosters from healthcare professionals

Photo: Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images

Cases and hospitalizations for COVID-19 continue to increase in New York State, and Governor Kathy Hokul responded late last week by saying that healthcare professionals need to get booster shots. Health Planning Council.

According to a comment made by Hochul at a recent press conference, hospitalizations in the state were about 11,600, and the death toll across the state continues to grow, with 155 reported dead in the last day. increase.

“And you see the trend going upwards, but this is usually a lagging indicator,” she said. “This is in line with the increasing number of cases and hospitalization is always delayed.”

One of the few silvery linings is that hospitalization in the state is fairly stable. This shows that the New York medical system can now handle that capacity. According to Hochul, this is partly due to booster shots. This is because we rarely see people admitted to the hospital for COVID-19 on the third shot.

And while staffing is tight, Omicron variants do not seem to be more serious than other variants such as Delta. In short, hospital staff are returning to more and more jobs and are approaching a sort of feasible equilibrium.

The required booster shots are designed to maintain this equilibrium and keep staff healthy. This means that, according to obligations, there are no exemptions or test options other than medical exemptions.

“We were the first state in the country to establish this because it was a very important priority,” Hochul said. “We’ve already seen what’s happening in our medical environment. Staff are getting sick. They’re leaving. We need them to be well and the best possible You must have a fortress of. It means getting a booster shot as well. “

What is the impact

Hochul is on a new mission Presidential directive Declaration of a state-wide disaster emergency due to a shortage of medical staff.

The New York State COVID-19 vaccination requirement came into effect in September and reportedly urged thousands of healthcare professionals to get the COVID-19 vaccine. According to the Governor’s Office, 84% of New York hospital staff were fully vaccinated as of this fall.

Big trend

Around the world, large-scale COVID-19 vaccination campaigns have helped control the spread of the virus. However, breakthrough infections can occur even in countries with high vaccination rates. Scientists believe this is due to the gradual loss of immunity over time.

Protection against COVID-19 infection after Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine begins to weaken over time, especially 90 days after receiving the second dose, strengthening the case of booster shots. .. Recent findings It was published in The BMJ.

US Food and Drug Administration Approved booster shot Inoculation of Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines in November for all adults 18 years and older.And this month, it approved Pfizer-12 BioNTech COVID-19 booster shots for children ages 12-15.

In addition, the FDA has reduced the time between the completion of primary vaccination of Pfizer products and booster immunization to at least five months. The new guidance also allows for a third primary dose to certain immunocompromised children between the ages of 5 and 11.

Authorities have determined that the health-protecting effects of a single booster shot of Pfizer Shot outweigh the potential risks of people in that age group. According to the FDA, boosters provide COVID-19 and ongoing protection against related consequences such as hospitalization and death.

The Disease Management and Prevention Advisory Board on Immunization Implementation recommends booster shots for all adults.

twitter: @JELagasse
Send an email to the writer. [email protected]