Two weeks until Thanksgiving.Get the latest Covid-19 shots now, health officials warn

CNN
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With two weeks to go until Thanksgiving, those who qualify for the updated Covid-19 vaccine booster but have not yet been vaccinated should roll up their sleeves on Thursday to receive as much protection as possible. before the holidays.

Health officials are concerned about the potential surge in respiratory diseases such as Covid-19, influenza, RSV and rhinovirus this winter and are urging people who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19 to get vaccinated as soon as possible. I encourage you to receive Possible.

“The way it does its defense is by making these proteins, which we call antibodies, that circulate in the bloodstream. there is.

After getting the latest Covid-19 vaccine, that biological process can take about 10-14 days.

“So it starts right away and gradually gets these antibodies into the bloodstream, reaching a peak in about two weeks,” Schaffner said. “The booster really works as a booster. It builds up your antibodies faster than if you started from scratch.”

The rollout of updated boosters has been delayed, and most precautions, including masks and social distancing, have become the mainstays of protection, before gathering with family and friends for the holiday season, the first festive season of the pandemic. There is an urgent need to build past.

In October, Dr. Ashish Jha, the Covid-19 response coordinator at the White House, said that obtaining the latest Covid-19 vaccine would The ‘most important thing’ Americans can do for their health just now.

“The most important thing every American can do to reduce the likelihood of serious preventable health problems in the next three to six months is to get the latest Covid vaccine. “More than that, we need to ensure that everyone over the age of 50 or with a high-risk condition has access to treatment if they become infected. I have.”

With the arrival of colder weather, people spending more time indoors and more holiday celebrations being planned, local health officials are voicing fears of Covid-19, flu and RSV in the coming weeks. Lori Tremmel Freeman said there was growing concern that the epidemic would increase. CEO of the National Association of County and City Health Officials.

This concern is compounded by the fact that a relatively small number of people across the United States have acquired it. Updated Covid-19 Vaccine Booster Now available for ages 5 and up.

“The message from your local health department on this is that you should get a booster to protect you while you’re on vacation.

“The longer it’s been since I received my last booster, the weaker my immune system and the more susceptible I am to getting the virus,” she said. We know we need to take prevention now to be ready for it.”

With less than 10% of the U.S. population (approximately 26 million people over the age of 5) receiving the latest Covid-19 booster dose, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and PreventionCoverage is highest in older adults, with approximately 1 in 15 adults under the age of 30, while more than 1 in 5 older adults who have had the primary series also have a booster renewal.

However, the pace of absorption is relatively slow.

About 1 in 5 adults with a primary series say they are likely or unlikely to get an updated booster. This percentage, at least he’s been consistent since September. CDC data show.

“If this Covid booster is not yet widely accepted, what is clearly going to happen is that the expected increase in Covid this winter will increase even further,” Schaffner said. It could make the season worse from the point of view of

He said he should get Covid-19 and flu vaccinations before his vacation due to increased flu activity, a continued surge in RSV and growing concerns about a possible increase in Covid-19 this winter. is important, he added. Make sure people around you are vaccinated, wash their hands and stay home when sick.

“You can make rules, for example, if you’re vaccinated against Covid as well as the flu, you’ll be welcome to the Thanksgiving table,” Schaffner said.

Health authorities should Latest Covid-19 Boosters and Flu Vaccines at the same time.

Influenza is already spreading at high levels in some areas.

last week, Government health officials warned Regarding the early and severe start of the cold and flu season in the United States, he said he was closely monitoring hospital capacity and medical supplies and was ready to send aid if needed.

“Many children have been exposed to some respiratory viruses for the first time because they avoided them at the height of the pandemic,” said Dr. Jose Romero, director of the CDC National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. I believe that it is.

Across the United States, cases of respiratory syncytial virus and influenza are increasing. At the same time, Covid-19 cases, which had been declining, appear to have leveled off over the past three weeks, Romero said. It has an edge over its variant, BA.5.

Looking to the future, some vaccine makers such as Novavax, Pfizer and BioNTech are developing 2-in-1 combination vaccines that provide protection against both influenza and Covid-19 in a single dose.

last week, Pfizer and BioNTech Announce The first study participant received an investigational influenza-Covid combination vaccine in a phase 1 trial. Vaccine candidates include components of the company’s latest Covid-19 booster and an investigational influenza vaccine.

in October, Novavax announced Its Covid-19 and influenza combination vaccine generated an immune response against coronavirus and influenza strains, showing “positive results” in a phase 1/2 clinical trial. The company said it was “the first of its kind” to evaluate a vaccine and that insights from the trial will inform a phase II trial that is expected to begin by the end of this year. It combines Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine and its quadrivalent influenza vaccine candidate, two in one.

Moderna is also developing a combination influenza and Covid-19 mRNA vaccine and another combination vaccine targeting influenza, Covid-19 and RSV.

Health officials have long suspected that Covid-19 vaccination will be required annually In the future, just like the seasonal flu vaccine is given every year.

A combination vaccine could be available soon for the next flu season, Freeman said, making it easier for people to roll up their sleeves each year.

“We may see it as early as next year,” she said. “And it will help people make it easier to choose whether to have both the flu and Covid together in one vaccine, or together at once wherever a vaccine is available.”