COVID-19 treatment and vaccine update thread

[Lassr]

I was just checking to see if there was an updated booster. My wife has seen a drastic uptick in COVID cases in the Dr office she works.
Several in my family have gotten it. But it has been very mild which is good. COVID seems to ramp up before the Flu does so it would be great to get the COVID boosters out sooner.

[LordMortis]

CVS spammed me to inform me it's national Vaccine Awareness Month. Are you aware that there is still no COVID 19 2024 vaccine approved and released this month when the predicable seasonal and migratory mixing occurs the more than any other time throughout the year?

[Zaxxon]

CVS spammed me to inform me it's national Vaccine Awareness Month. Are you aware that there is still no COVID 19 2024 vaccine approved and released this month when the predicable seasonal and migratory mixing occurs the more than any other time throughout the year?

I am now--thanks!

[Punisher]

CVS spammed me to inform me it's national Vaccine Awareness Month. Are you aware that there is still no COVID 19 2024 vaccine approved and released this month when the predicable seasonal and migratory mixing occurs the more than any other time throughout the year?

Knowing is half the battle so we are halfway there!

[hitbyambulance]

i really kinda want this vaccine now.

[Kurth]

i really kinda want this vaccine now.

Highly recommended. I just had COVID (second go) last week, and it sucked. For me, the vaccine has always sucked, too, but far less than actually getting COVID.

Anecdotally, living in the Portland, OR, metro area and commuting to the San Francisco Bay area on the regular, it feels like everyone I know or their family or a close relative has gotten COVID in the past few weeks. Feels like it's definitely ramping up.

[Kraken]

Wife and I have both been sick with cold symptoms for the past week, but are repeatedly testing negative for covid and don't quite feel coviddy. Guess summer colds are really still a thing.

[Zaxxon]

Wife and I have both been sick with cold symptoms for the past week, but are repeatedly testing negative for covid and don't quite feel coviddy. Guess summer colds are really still a thing.

My daughter has been sick this week and also tested negative for COVID.

[Smoove_B]

I'm not saying you all have it, but more and more I'm hearing that the at-home tests don't register a positive result until 3+ solid days of symptoms. I think the theory is that the newer strains are producing lower levels of detectable elements than the original variants that the tests were designed for. So until they build up high enough, you think you're negative. But that's just what the virus wants you to believe!

Still watching. Lots of news articles on how the FDA is going to release it "early", but no actual news about it. Considering they approved it 9/11 last year, if they approve it 9/3 that would still technically be "early". I wish I could explain (for reals) what is happening and why, but I'm just as frustrated as the rest of y'all.

[LordMortis]

Still watching. Lots of news articles on how the FDA is going to release it "early", but no actual news about it.

What? You mean in mid July?

[ImLawBoy]

Family did our first vacation since the before times - it's been 5 years. (Delays not just due to COVID but also other factors that make traveling difficult for my oldest.) We went to SW Michigan, which is only about 1.5.-2 hour drive from us (depending on traffic). Got a Vrbo with wheelchair ramp, so no need to interact with hotel staff or anything. Decent amount of outdoor activities, and we masked up when we were indoors (restaurants without outdoor seating, stores, etc.). While I only saw a couple of other masks our whole time out, we received no grief from anyone. It was a major step for us and I think a good sign that a lot of people are still tolerant of masks - or at least they save their comments for when we're out of earshot.

Back home, my wife took kids to music lessons yesterday. She was waiting in the lobby when an instructor came to the front desk asking for a mask. She said that her student (who apparently was wearing a mask, at least) told her that she might have COVID. FFS, people. If your kid *might* have COVID, maybe don't send them to have a lesson in a small enclosed space with a teacher who will then be in a small enclosed space with other students.

[Zaxxon]

A Substack guide to fall 2024 vaccines, for Smoove’s vetting.

[Smoove_B]

Not just anyone, but Your Local Epidemiologist. She's legit! That's a great summary.

[Smoove_B]

"Any day now"

“The new formulations cover the variants that have been circulating more recently,” Dr. Peter Marks, who runs the FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, tells NPR. “So the hope is that the closer we match the strain, the better protection one will have, and perhaps the longer the protection we’ll have.”

The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna mRNA vaccines expected to get the go-ahead this week target the KP.2 variant. The Novavax vaccine, which is based on an older technology, targets an earlier strain called JN.1.

Technically true:

Some people could consider waiting until September or October if they’re especially concerned about maximizing protection through the winter surge and over the holidays.

“Getting vaccinated sometime in the September to early October time frame seems like a pretty reasonable thing to do to help bring you protection through the December/January time frame,” says Marks. “It doesn’t, like, suddenly stop. This is not like something that suddenly cuts off at three or four months. It’s just that the immunity will decrease with time.”

However, I personally find it easier to hide in my bunker in December/January than *right now* when the virus is surging. Also, if you get the virus now, you're not going to want to get this updated vaccine for 3-6 months post infection. And of course at any point before then, you could get the virus again. I can't possibly run the calculus on everyone's individual circumstances but I'm absolutely getting the Fall 24 shot as soon as I can schedule it.

“Anyone who wants to get this vaccine should get it,” says Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at the University of Pennsylvania who advises the FDA. “It certainly makes sense why someone would want to get it because it lessens your chance of getting a mild or moderate infection for about four to six months and to some extent lessens your chances of spreading the virus.” But the calculation could be different for younger people. “Were I a 35-year-old healthy adult who’d already had several doses of vaccine and one or two natural infections I wouldn’t feel compelled to get it,” Offit says.

[Kraken]

I'm not saying you all have it, but more and more I'm hearing that the at-home tests don't register a positive result until 3+ solid days of symptoms. I think the theory is that the newer strains are producing lower levels of detectable elements than the original variants that the tests were designed for. So until they build up high enough, you think you're negative. But that's just what the virus wants you to believe!

Well, if it IS covid it's the mildest case I've ever had (this would be my fourth). The only suspicious symptom is an occasional cough that sometimes produces phlegm, but I chalk that up to post-nasal drip.

[Smoove_B]

Having a super-mild case is certainly within the realm of possibilities. Based on what I've seen/heard (anecdotally) if you test negative after 5 days of symptoms, it probably isn't COVID (assuming test control strip is visible).

Other stuff is absolutely in circulation, but right now it feels like everyone has the 'rona....again.

[Smoove_B]

Approved!

For Immediate Release:
August 22, 2024

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved and granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (2024-2025 formula) to include a monovalent (single) component that corresponds to the Omicron variant KP.2 strain of SARS-CoV-2. The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have been updated with this formula to more closely target currently circulating variants and provide better protection against serious consequences of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death. Today’s actions relate to updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by ModernaTX Inc. and Pfizer Inc.

Details:

What You Need to Know

Unvaccinated individuals 6 months through 4 years of age are eligible to receive three doses of the updated, authorized Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or two doses of the updated, authorized Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine.
Individuals 6 months through 4 years of age who have previously been vaccinated against COVID-19 are eligible to receive one or two doses of the updated, authorized Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines (timing and number of doses to administer depends on the previous COVID-19 vaccine received).
Individuals 5 years through 11 years of age regardless of previous vaccination are eligible to receive a single dose of the updated, authorized Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines; if previously vaccinated, the dose is administered at least 2 months after the last dose of any COVID-19 vaccine.
Individuals 12 years of age and older are eligible to receive a single dose of the updated, approved Comirnaty or the updated, approved Spikevax; if previously vaccinated, the dose is administered at least 2 months since the last dose of any COVID-19 vaccine.
Additional doses are authorized for certain immunocompromised individuals ages 6 months through 11 years of age as described in the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine fact sheets.

[Zaxxon]

So from here I assume we'll follow the now-typical path: CDC panel approval Real Soon Now, then CDC Director approval, then availability a week or so later?

Wen can haz?

[Smoove_B]

Given past practice, I'd like to predict they'll be available next week - maybe starting Sunday (8/25) depending on where you live.

I'm expecting the rest of the approvals to be rubber stamped (like usual); I'd imagine this approval is the one that really starts the physical act of sending out vaccine supplies to pharmacies.

My sources tell me:

Pfizer says it will start shipping immediately; Moderna says its vax will be available in the coming days.

[LordMortis]

CVS site not taking appointments for an updated vaccine. <F5> CVS site not taking appointments for an updated vaccine. <F5> CVS site not taking appointments for an updated vaccine. <F5> CVS site not taking appointments for an updated vaccine. <F5>


Edit: Nope. Still not taking appointments for the updated vaccine.

[Zaxxon]

CVS site not taking appointments for an updated vaccine. <F5> CVS site not taking appointments for an updated vaccine. <F5> CVS site not taking appointments for an updated vaccine. <F5> CVS site not taking appointments for an updated vaccine. <F5>


Edit: Nope. Still not taking appointments for the updated vaccine.

Interestingly, neither Walgreens nor Walmart are taking appointments for any COVID vaccines.

[Smoove_B]

Interestingly, neither Walgreens nor Walmart are taking appointments for any COVID vaccines.

Correct. Now they've been ordered to stop using the old stuff and are transferring their systems over to schedule new 2024 vaccine. Wouldn't surprise me to see scheduling by 10 am tomorrow (for next week). If you're a customer, I'm also guessing they're going to blast you with email faster than I can post an update here.

[Zaxxon]

Interestingly, neither Walgreens nor Walmart are taking appointments for any COVID vaccines.

Correct. Now they've been ordered to stop using the old stuff and are transferring their systems over to schedule new 2024 vaccine. Wouldn't surprise me to see scheduling by 10 am tomorrow (for next week). If you're a customer, I'm also guessing they're going to blast you with email faster than I can post an update here.

It's just weird, because in past years this didn't happen--you could make an appointment walk through the appointment process and select COVID in the interim. Maybe this is the one area they're improving this year?

[Smoove_B]

They were probably administratively arguing with insurance and the government last year over getting paid for shots given in this "gray" area of time between old and new, so they're making sure there is a hard stop and multiple days of space between them - so there's no confusion or arguing over future payments.

Total speculation on my part, but an educated guess.

[LordMortis]

CVS is scheduling. The earliest I could get is Friday August 30th at 10:30 but if it becomes available before then, I'll be wandering up and seeing if I can get it earlier.

No idea which vaccine I'm signed up for this time. They used to tell you when you signed up, but then I don't think they've know the shipment stuff yet.

https://www.cvs.com/immunizations/covid-19-vaccine

[Blackhawk]

That's the only advantage to living in Hicksburg where vaccines are known to be commie lib mind control tools - there's never a wait, and 'scheduling' is irrelevant.

[Zaxxon]

The fam is all booked for the updated Pfizer and this year’s flu shot at Walgreens on 9/7. Woot. Now let’s hope we can avoid the plague until then…

[LordMortis]

Logged in again this morning and I got to move up to the 28th at 1030. Nice. I don't imagine it will get any earlier than that but I will look again later.

[The Meal]

The fam is all booked for the updated Pfizer and this year’s flu shot at Walgreens on 9/7. Woot. Now let’s hope we can avoid the plague until then…

Thanks. MHS and I just got scheduled for ours on 9/6 at the store within walking distance to our house.

September 6 is OOur 21st anniversary.

[Zaxxon]

The fam is all booked for the updated Pfizer and this year’s flu shot at Walgreens on 9/7. Woot. Now let’s hope we can avoid the plague until then…

Thanks. MHS and I just got scheduled for ours on 9/6 at the store within walking distance to our house.

September 6 is OOur 21st anniversary.

Sweet, and congrats on the OOniversary!

[Max Peck]

I haven't been able to find any information as to the status of approvals for the new vaccines here in Canada. I expect that Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax will all be approved, but have no idea when the approval will come or when/where they will be available this year.

IIRC, Pfizer and Moderna target the KP.2 variant and Novavax targets JN.1. It appears that the dominant variant in Canada is KP.3 currently, which is related to KP.2 and descended from JN.1, so I expect that all 3 options are more or less close enough.

[WYBaugh]

Smoove, I had a booster in early July. Should I shoot for December for the new vaccine (if my insurance doesn't have a fit)?

[Kraken]

Still feeling like crap, still testing negative for covid (Wife, too). That's good; it means we can get vaccinated in September if our schedules allow. We're closing on our house next weekend and moving a couple of weeks after that, so we can't really schedule any downtime until the beginning of October.

[Smoove_B]

Smoove, I had a booster in early July. Should I shoot for December for the new vaccine (if my insurance doesn't have a fit)?

Yeah, the current recommendation is at least 3 months (CDC) but waiting 6 months (researchers) is better. Depending on your holiday plans, targeting a few weeks before any family gatherings or travel would likely be the most ideal.

[Smoove_B]

More free test kits coming in late September:

The Biden administration on Friday said it will resume offering free at-home Covid-19 tests to American households in late September as the virus has gained a stronger foothold in the U.S. this summer.

Americans will soon be able to use COVIDtests.gov to request four free tests, administration officials told reporters during a briefing. The tests will be able to detect the Covid variants that are currently circulating, most of which are descendants of the highly contagious omicron variant JN.1.

“These tests will help keep families and their loved ones safe this fall and winter season,” Dawn O’Connell, an assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the Health and Human Services Department, said during the briefing. “This is the seventh time over the last three years that the Biden-Harris administration has given families the opportunity to order the over-the-counter Covid-19 tests for free” through the government’s website.

[Max Peck]

The tests will be able to detect the Covid variants that are currently circulating, most of which are descendants of the highly contagious omicron variant JN.1.

Does this mean that the tests themselves have been updated to better detect the new variants, or are they just reassuring people that the same old tests still work?

[Smoove_B]

I'm not sure. I guess we'll see.

[Max Peck]

Whether or not the various home test kits are being updated is something I've been curious about for a while now. It's a moot issue here, given that home testing doesn't seem to be a thing anymore. If there's a way to get them nowadays, I certainly don't know what it is (aside from grey market resellers that scooped up all the free kits back when they were still hypothetically available). The last I heard was that the federal government was winding down its purchases earlier this year and the remaining stocks were due to expire in December (which probably means they were produced as much as 2 years ago, which is an eternity in COVID years).

[Kraken]

We're actually running low on test kits, which is probably good because they're all pretty old. Makes sense to restock.

[Max Peck]

I still have the one kit I was able to acquire, but it expired back in February. I'm keeping it as a memento of those heady days when we still thought we might beat this thing.