As COVID-19 becomes permanently entrenched in our lives, annual vaccinations are the norm.
Earlier this month, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) official declared COVID-19 “endemic,” indicating the virus is here to stay. As of the August 13 update, COVID-19 cases are expanding in 25 states, according to the latest CDC report.
On August 10, the percentage of positive COVID cases in the United States reached its highest point since January 2022. However, the number of people dying from COVID in the United States is currently in the low hundreds. compared to January and February 2022, when more than 10,000 people died due to COVID week
COVID remains the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, up from third in March 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic.
Paul Offit, a world-renowned pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases, said that this low number of deaths despite the high percentage of positive cases is the goal of vaccination.
“The purpose of this vaccine is to keep other people out of the hospital, out of the intensive care unit and out of the morgue,” said Offit, director of the Center for Vaccine Education at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
“Since antibody responses are relatively brief, 4 to six months, it is conceivable that you will contract COVID again. Most people you know have probably had COVID more than once, but they’re still alive thanks to vaccines and immune memory. . “
This year, the CDC pleaded with vaccine brands to expand vaccines with the KP. 2 strain of COVID-19, a subvariant of the JN. 1 lineage strains, by adding KP. 3. 1. 1, KP. 3 and KP. 2, which are now to blame for the maximum infections in the United States, according to the CDC.
KP. 3. 1. 1 is now the main COVID-19 variant.
The updated vaccines are approved and ready to be received each year in September, Offit said.
mRNA vaccines, like those from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech, have a three-month production schedule that requires the brands and the CDC to meet in June of the year to get the vaccines produced into the fall. The Novavax vaccine takes longer to produce.
“In theory, the mRNA and Novavax vaccines deserve to be available shortly,” Offit said. “The FDA will most likely meet this week and next to decide whether to authorize the use of those vaccines. “
Once the vaccines are approved through the Food and Drug Administration, the CDC recommends that anyone 6 months of age or older get the updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine, adding to those who have already been vaccinated.
Most CDC rules that others were used to years ago are no longer in place. The CDC now recommends staying up to date on vaccinations, staying home if you’re sick, and seeking medical attention if you’re at risk for severe illness.
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