JustCare

Tag: Vaccine

  • Coronavirus: Booster shots reduce risk of hospitalization

    Coronavirus: Booster shots reduce risk of hospitalization

    The New York Times reports on the value of Covid-19 booster shots in preventing hospitalization, particularly for people 50 and older. Still, everyone, including people who have had booster shots are best-off wearing N95 masks whenever indoors and around other people.

    The Centers for Disease Control just released new data showing that people with booster shots are much less likely to be hospitalized than people who are not vaccinated. Booster shots are also a good weapon against Covid-19 infection to begin with. But, vaccinated or not, you should not be going without a surgical mask, ideally an N95 mask, when around other people indoors.

    People over 50 who have not been vaccinated are 17 times more likely to be hospitalized than people who received two shots of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. The risk of hospitalization for those unvaccinated is 2.5 times greater still than those who had received a booster shot. Unvaccinated adults between the ages of 50 and 64 have a 44 times greater likelihood of being hospitalized than people who had received the booster shot as well.

    Risk of hospitalization for the unvaccinated over 65 is even higher than for those under 65. People over 65 have a 49 times higher likelihood of hospitalization than people their age who had received a booster.

    Interestingly, getting Covid affords people more protection against the Delta virus than vaccinations, according to the CDC. The CDC has not yet determined the efficacy of booster shots against Omicron and whether getting Omicron delivers more protection than a booster shot.

    But, the CDC has now reported that wearing cloth masks offers far less protection than wearing a surgical mask. And, the Washington Post explains why the best mask to wear to protect yourself against Covid-19 is an N95. In short, it fits snugly to your skin around the edges and is made of a material that blocks the novel coronavirus particles from slipping through it with 95 percent efficacy.

    Everyone can reduce the risk of getting Covid by using an N95 or KN95 mask instead of a cloth mask. N95 masks are now widely available. If you are buying masks, choose those. The Biden administration is now giving out free masks through community health centers (sometimes called FQHCs) and through participating pharmacies, such as CVS and Walmart.  You can visit this CDC webpage to see how to ensure the mask you buy is not counterfeit.

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  • Covid-19 roundup: What you should know

    Covid-19 roundup: What you should know

    The novel coronavirus has taken an incalculably enormous toll on Americans of all ages, particularly older adults. That said, people with Medicare have better Covid-19 protections than most other people in terms of their coverage and out-of-pocket testing and treatment costs. Here’s what you should know.

    Test and treatment costs can be very high, but Medicare should cover them

    Why the vaccine and the booster are important preventive measures

    Symptoms with and without a vaccine and disability benefits:

    Treatments

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  • Coronavirus: Should you get the Pfizer booster vaccine?

    Coronavirus: Should you get the Pfizer booster vaccine?

    The FDA gave emergency approval to Pfizer’s “booster” vaccine for people over 65 who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 at least six months. And, soon after, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)  announced that it supports that decision as well as booster shots for people who have a serious medical condition or work in a high-risk settings.

    In short, about 60 million of the 100 million people who received the Pfizer vaccine and who are at high risk of getting a serious case of Covid-19 are eligible for the booster shot.  The booster is the same Pfizer vaccine as people originally received, just a third one, to boost people’s antibody levels and better protect them.

    Older adults and people with compromised health need vaccine protection. Covid-19 is the deadliest disease in American history, deadlier than the Spanish flu of 1918.

    Pfizer had wanted the booster to be available to all 100 million Americans who had received its vaccine. But, an expert FDA panel did not support Pfizer’s request, nor did the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Still, projections are that booster shots around the world will contribute $26 billion to its bottom line in 2022, PBS reports.

    Should you get a booster if you did not get the Pfizer vaccine? The FDA has not yet given approval for a booster to people who had the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. For that reason, experts have not  recommended a Pfizer booster to people who received the Johnson & Johnson or Moderna vaccines.

    Some experts believe that people who are immunocompromised should get the third vaccine even if it is a different brand from the brand they initially received. But, one FDA representative says there is not enough evidence to know whether it would be as effective as getting a third injection of the same vaccine you originally received.

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  • Coronavirus: Avoid getting a breakthrough case

    Coronavirus: Avoid getting a breakthrough case

    Will Stone, a Kaiser Health News reporter who is fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, reports on his experience with a breakthrough Covid-19 case. Spoiler alert: It has a happy ending, but it provides reason to remain super careful, even if you are doubly vaccinated. The odds of getting a breakthrough case are far lower if you’re vaccinated than not, but you still need to be very careful.

    In short, notwithstanding the reporter’s two Pfizer vaccinations, he came down with Covid. His first symptom was a headache hitting him hard in the back of his head. Next up, aching eyeballs. Shortly thereafter, he lost his sense of taste. And, then, aching arms and legs, high fever and night sweats. It took a full month before he felt ok again.

    He had been able to stay healthy and Covid-free for 18 months. Then, he unwittingly exposed his family to the virus. He has no clue where he got it. Here’s his advice:

    1. The vaccine reduces your risk of getting really sick from Covid-19. But, vaccines are not bullet-proof. So take simple precautions.
    2. With the delta variant, there’s much greater likelihood of getting a breakthrough symptomatic case, even if you’re vaccinated. That said, we have such poor data, it’s hard to know what that likelihood really is.
    3. Wear a mask indoors and avoid travel if you can.
    4. The reporter had a “mild” case because he was not hospitalized; you can have a mild case and be bed-bound for a week. If you’re vaccinated, you’re much less likely to have a fever, spend a lot of time in bed, or require hospitalization.
    5. Keep in mind that the delta variant is twice as contagious as the original Covid-19 virus.
    6. You can transmit the virus if you are fully vaccinated and asymptomatic.
    7. You can get long Covid even if you are fully vaccinated–headaches, fatigue, brain fog. There’s not enough data to know how often this occurs, but far less often than if you’re unvaccinated.
    8. My advice: If you test positive for Covid and don’t feel great, ask your doctor about getting monoclonal antibodies. For many people, these antibodies help people recover quickly.

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  • Coronavirus: Why you should get a booster shot

    Coronavirus: Why you should get a booster shot

    If you were first in line to be vaccinated, it might be time to get a booster shot reports Sarah Jane Tribble for Kaiser Health News. Beginning next month, the Biden administration has announced that all adults will be able to get a booster shot. People over 65 or immunocompromised have very good reason to get a booster shot as soon as possible.

    We know that the Delta variant has been raging through the nation and infecting the unvaccinated, as well as small numbers of people who have been vaccinated. The good news is that those who are vaccinated appear to have far lower risk of getting severely ill, much less to need hospitalization. But, the Delta variant might mutate into another more dangerous form of the coronavirus, and we should be prepared and protected as best possible.

    We also know from new research that the Covid-19 vaccine wears off over time, with people losing the antibodies that protect them against the novel coronavirus. The rate at which it wears off appears to differ from one person to another. Pfizer’s research suggests that four to six months after the second shot, its vaccine’s efficacy drops from 96 percent to 84 percent.

    The Centers for Disease Control is currently saying that people need a booster shot eight months after their second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. People who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine can wait until November or later for their booster as these people did not begin getting vaccinated until March. As of yet, the administration does not have a booster plan for these individuals. But, Johnson & Johnson is testing the efficacy of a second shot now.

    What is a booster shot? A booster shot is the same as a third shot of the same vaccine you originally had.

    Who will get the booster shot first? Older adults, along with essential workers, will be at the front of the line for a booster shot, as they received their first two vaccine shots ahead of most other people.

    What are the benefits of the booster shot? It will provide you with more antibodies. As of now, we do not know the results of a trial evaluating the efficacy of a third dose.

    The CDC says that the mRNA vaccines offer neutralizing antibodies and cellular immunity. With two doses of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, people should have longer protection against becoming severely ill. The J & J vaccine uses a different technology, adenovirus vector. The data suggests that it provides the same benefits as the two Moderna or Pfizer shots.

    Is a booster safe? Some experts say it is safe. Others question whether it could lead to severe side effects. Some also think that younger people might be better off for now without the booster. People who get the booster could be more likely to develop inflammation of the heart, for example.

    Are you less likely to spread the virus with a booster shot? Booster shots provide you with more antibodies and a stronger immune response. As a result, the virus is less likely to replicate in your system. And, in turn, you are less likely to transmit the virus.

    Should your booster shot be from the same company as your initial vaccine? The CDC says it should be from the same company as your initial vaccine. Others believe that it could be beneficial to get your booster from a different company, but there is no good data on this.

    Is the booster shot free? Yes, it is free for everyone, including undocumented residents and people without insurance. You do not need to show ID.

    Will we need annual booster shots? It is possible we will need annual booster shots if the virus continues to mutate.

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  • Coronavirus: Older adults more likely to be vaccinated, regardless of party affiliation

    Coronavirus: Older adults more likely to be vaccinated, regardless of party affiliation

    The Delta variant of the novel coronavirus is wreaking havoc in the US because so many Americans remain unvaccinated. Thankfully, 90 percent of older adults have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine. Political affiliation is not driving vaccination decisions for older adults in the same way that it appears to be keeping younger Republicans from getting vaccinated.

    Kaiser Health News reports that nearly 50 million older Americans have been vaccinated. So, even if they are infected with the Delta variant, they are not likely to be hospitalized, much less to die of COVID. That said, those older adults who are not yet vaccinated are taking a huge gamble with their lives.

    Overall, many Republicans have chosen against being vaccinated, putting their lives at risk. But, the majority of older adults, regardless of political party, have been vaccinated. Political party has not affected vaccination rates among older adults significantly.

    Older adults have benefited from being first up for vaccinations and the focus of many COVID vaccination campaigns. They appear to recognize the dangers of not being vaccinated. The data is clear. Four out of five people who have died of COVID-19 are people over 65.

    Still, one in ten older adults still need to be vaccinated. It is doable. Some states have shown the way, doing an especially good job of ensuring older adults are vaccinated. In Vermont, Pennsylvania and Hawaii, the vaccination rate for older adults is 99 percent. West Virginia has the worst rate though far better than the country as a whole, with 78 percent of older adults vaccinated.

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  • Coronavirus: Pfizer puts profits ahead of public health

    Coronavirus: Pfizer puts profits ahead of public health

    What would a corporate COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer do in the face of a pandemic? You guessed it: Use its power to put maximizing profits ahead of the public health. And, that’s just what Pfizer did when the federal government gave it the power to determine how the vaccine is distributed, reports StatNews.

    Pfizer figured out that if it packaged its vaccine for distribution in 80 pound boxes, it would add to its enormous profits. Each box would hold 1,170 vaccine doses. Never mind the consequences for Americans. Pfizer did not care that its packaging severely limited where it could send the vaccines.

    For its part, the federal government naively believed that all it needed from Pfizer was agreement to distribute the vaccines without a plan as to where the vaccines were being sent. It did not insist on dictating the number of vaccines in each container. And, Pfizer refused to consider sending shipments of 100 vaccine doses at a time.

    This explains why big establishments in urban areas received the Pfizer vaccine first and rural communities and small medical establishments had to wait. Only the big facilities could keep large quantities of vaccines in cold storage and use hundreds of vaccines at a time. Local pharmacies and primary care doctors could not handle huge supplies of the vaccine.

    Of course, Pfizer denies that its distribution plan had anything to do with maximizing profits. But, large boxes of vaccines simplified Pfizer’s job and kept its costs down. Their government contract included the cost of delivery so a team at Pfizer figured out how to get its vaccines out at the lowest possible cost.

    The Pfizer box has other limitations. It can only be opened two times each day for no more than three minutes at a time. It needs new dry ice to continue to keep the vaccine cold.

    The federal government had to dedicate a lot of resources to determining who could receive the vaccine, instead of coordinating the administration of the vaccine. Needless to say, government research from 10-years ago shows that vaccines should be able to be distributed in small quantities to reach more people in more places.

    Of course, Pfizer could have used multiple-sized boxes in its distribution of the vaccine, but that would have raised its costs and reduced its profits. More dry ice, more labor and more delivery locations. In sharp contrast, Moderna’s boxes contained 10 or 11 doses, so small retail pharmacies and private medical practices could take delivery of them.

    The big culprit here is the federal government. The Trump administration is guilty of not dictating the terms of delivery. After all, it was buying enormous quantities of the vaccine and should have had significant leverage over its distribution, even if Pfizer wanted that control.

    The Biden administration has been able to use its leverage to reduce the Pfizer box size to 450 vials.

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  • Coronavirus: Antibody test won’t always show whether the vaccine offers protection

    Coronavirus: Antibody test won’t always show whether the vaccine offers protection

    The COVID-19 vaccine is helping tens of millions of people, but it does not always offer protection to people with cancer. Stat News reports that people with cancer do not always generate sufficient antibodies to protect them from contracting COVID that other people generate from the vaccine. An antibody test won’t always reveal whether the vaccine offers protection.

    People with cancer have immune systems that are not able to produce as many antibodies after receiving a vaccine that a vaccine delivers to people with uncompromised immune systems. The situation is much the same for people who have had organ transplants and people with some autoimmune diseases.

    So, people who are immunocompromised and get antibody tests might not know whether they are protected from COVID. It is still unclear what level of antibodies is needed for protection of people who are immunocompromised. Cellular immunity might help protect them. So might booster shots and monoclonal antibody infusions.

    For now, people who are immunocompromised should always wear a mask, even if they have been vaccinated. They should maintain a six foot social distance, as should the people who are in their company. Antibody tests should not be relied upon to determine whether they are protected from contracting COVID. More data should be available in the next several months.

    Studies are underway to determine how best to protect people whose systems are immunocompromised and how to gauge whether a vaccine is effective.

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  • Coronavirus: One in five older adults still not vaccinated

    Coronavirus: One in five older adults still not vaccinated

    The New York Times reports that one in five older adults still are not vaccinated against the novel coronavirus. All are eligible for free vaccines. Now that states have opened up vaccines to everyone over 16, some worry it will make it harder for older adults to get vaccinated.

    The US started providing residents vaccines in December, beginning with people in hospitals and long-term care facilities. Today, about two in three people have had at least one shot. But, because of kinks in the system, many have not.

    People in many places around the country are finding it challenging to schedule a vaccine. People might live on the border of another state, for example, but might not be eligible for the vaccine in that state. Older adults, particularly the most vulnerable of them, are struggling more than others to schedule appointments.

    The good news is that a higher proportion of older adults have been vaccinated than any other subpopulation in the US. The bad news is that one in five of them–20 percent–still have not received a single vaccine dose, even though they are the most likely people to develop grave complications if they become infected with COVID-19. One in three people who have died of COVID are older adults living in long-term care facilities.

    At the urging of President Joe Biden, all states are now opening up eligibility for the vaccine to everyone 16 and older. They are no longer putting vulnerable older adults or essential workers the people who are most at risk, at the front of the line. And, more people are receiving vaccine doses on a daily basis, 3.2 million a day on average, up from 2.2 million a day.

    Unlike in some other countries where homebound elderly are able to get the vaccine in their homes, the overwhelming majority of older adults in the US must travel to get the vaccine. So, even if they can schedule an appointment, they might not be able to get to a vaccine site. Some older adults fear the risk of exposure o from going to a large vaccine site. And, some can’t get a vaccine because of limited supplies in their area.

    It would be interesting to know how well Medicare Advantage plan members are doing in terms of getting a vaccine. Are Medicare Advantage plans helping vulnerable older adults schedule appointments and travel to them? What can we learn from them? Their silence on this issue suggests they are not helping to ensure their members are vaccinated.

    Not surprisingly, people living in counties that supported President Trump’s reelection are less likely to be getting vaccinated. The only good news here is that older Republicans are more inclined to get vaccinated than their younger counterparts. And, of course, they are more at risk.

    There is some concern that allowing anyone of any age or type of work to get the vaccine compromises health equity. The more privileged are able to move ahead in line. Others suggest that young people could be helpful in ensuring that their older family members and friends get vaccinated. With everyone now eligible, getting vaccinated can be a family affair!

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  • Coronavirus: Why isn’t every older adult vaccinated?

    Coronavirus: Why isn’t every older adult vaccinated?

    Eighty percent of people in the US who have died of COVID-19 have been over 65, so the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) rightly prioritized vaccinations for people over 65. In turn, states have done a pretty good job of ensuring that older adults living in long-term care facilities are vaccinated. But, many older adults living in the community are still waiting to get vaccinated; why isn’t every older adult vaccinated?

    It is unconscionable that in 2021 the US has such a weak public health infrastructure that it has not yet vaccinated millions of older adults. And, our fragmented private health insurance system has been of little if any help. lnstead, in many parts of the country, states have left it to charities and other organizations to ensure people are vaccinated.

    Without assistance, older adults will not be vaccinated. A lot of older adults are not able to schedule a vaccine appointment on their own; they might not even know that vaccines are available for them. Many older adults do not have computers. Others have no ability to travel to get the vaccine.

    For the most part, the US put the burden on individuals, including frail and vulnerable older adults, to make their own vaccine appointments. Why is the US so backwards? Why don’t we have mobile vaccine clinics? Why aren’t hospitals calling the oldest and most medically compromised members of their communities and scheduling appointments for them? Israel and other developed countries actively reach out to residents and schedule appointments for them.

    The amount of time all of us are wasting trying to schedule a vaccine appointment could be put to far better use. And, the amount of effort it takes is keeping people  from getting vaccine appointments. As a general rule, vaccine sites are not vaccinating people who have not scheduled an appointment.

    Consequently, people living alone who are least able to fend for themselves are also the least likely to have gotten vaccinated. It’s the healthier older adults who have been vaccinated. In order to enhance your chances of booking a vaccine appointment, you need to be aware of the multiple web sites that offer information on vaccine availability.

    The Biden administration is now partnering with health insurers to ensure older adults are all vaccinated. The priority is reaching underserved communities. Time will tell how well that will work.

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