Fall and winter are fast approaching, which not only means it’s time to get a flu shot, but U. S. fitness officials are coming. U. S. agencies also urge everyone who is eligible to get their updated Covid-19 booster.
The U. S. Centers for Disease Control and PreventionThe U. S. Food and Drug Administration has Covid-19 vaccine boosters updated this month, following approval from the U. S. Food and Drug Administration. USA Updated Pfizer/BioNTech booster is allowed for others 12 years of age and older, and Moderna booster is legal for those 18 and older.
At the same time, fitness officials insist on advice to get a seasonal flu shot. Some forecasters worry that the upcoming flu season will be tricky for North America, as southern hemisphere countries that have already had their flu season, such as Australia and New Zealand, have noticed above-average spikes in cases. Therefore, it is possible that in the United States the flu will return while covid-19 is still circulating at higher levels.
With fewer new coronavirus variants of concern, some officials expect updated COVID-19 vaccines to be just the beginning of boosters for Americans each year, in the same way that updated annual flu shots are administered.
“For most Americans, one vaccine a year will provide a very high degree of coverage against serious illness, and that’s what we want,” Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, told CNN. . ” Maybe for some other high-risk people (the elderly, the immunocompromised) they might want coverage more than once a year, but for most Americans, that’s where it is, and I think it’s a very smart position. to be – to be. “
Updated Covid-19 and seasonal flu booster vaccines are available at most pharmacies, doctors’ offices, and health clinics.
EE. UU. no’s fitness officials only encourage other people to get vaccinated this year, but some local public fitness departments are making plans to schedule joint vaccination clinics, said Lori Tremmel Freeman, executive director of the National Association of County and City Health Officials.
“Jurisdictions will establish joint flu and covid vaccination clinics and other opportunities for other people to get a flu shot and their updated covid booster,” Freeman said, adding that “there is no problem” in getting the vaccines. about the same time.
The hope is that joint clinics will make it more convenient and available for other people to get vaccinated; however, not everyone is interested in or even eligible to receive any of the vaccines at the same time. Also, some say it’s still early to get the flu. Shot.
A single dose of the updated Covid-19 booster is at least two months after the initial series of vaccines or their recent maximum booster.
“Now, let’s say you recovered from Covid, and many other people, of course, had Covid this summer, wait at least 3 months,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
He added that it is vital to receive your reminder as soon as you are eligible.
“It’s clear that whether you’re vaccinated or have had covid, if you get this booster, you get much higher levels of antibodies and they may help us get longer protection,” he said. “The other thing that’s declining is that the immune formula reacts more broadly, and it looks like we’re going to get a broader policy that opposes other variants. “
When it comes to the flu vaccine, the timing of vaccination for this flu season is similar to last season, according to the CDC website.
“For most people who only need one dose for the season, September and October are usually good times to get vaccinated,” according to the CDC, adding that while it is “ideally” recommended to get vaccinated until the end of October, vaccination after October can still provide coverage during the peak of flu season.
“The best time is October and maybe the first two weeks of November, and the reason I say this is that, especially for the elderly and the frail, it will help their coverage increase from February to March, and that’s when the flu peaks in the U. S. “In February,” Schaffner said. Anyone 6 months of age or older deserves to get a flu shot. “
As for children under the age of 12, who are not eligible for the updated Covid-19 booster, Schaffner said parents are focused on vaccinating their children with the number one series or booster they can get now.
“I would say, keep the existing calendar,” he said. Because it’s transparent that the original still does a clever job of protecting us from more serious hospitalizations and illnesses. “
Schaffner added that other people have asked him if the Covid-19 vaccine protects against the flu or vice versa. They don’t.
“You have to get either vaccine,” he said. The covid vaccine will not oppose the flu. The flu vaccine will not oppose covid. “
Last week, Biden’s leadership announced its Covid-19 control plan this fall because there are more infections, in part due to declining immunity to vaccines and infections.
“Also, as the weather gets colder and other people spend more time indoors, contagious viruses like COVID-19 can spread more easily,” the announcement reads. “And, as we saw last fall with the emergence of Omicron, we will have to remain ready for the option of a possible new variant of concern. “
The White House continues to call on Congress to approve more investments for the COVID-19 response, after requesting a $22. 4 billion update last week. Republican Sen. Mitt Romney said approving the investment would be “a very complicated step. “
The government’s plan to control COVID-19 this fall is to inspire updated booster shots and facilitate their access, as well as ensure that others have easy access to immediate testing and treatment at home. That includes buying another hundred million immediate tests from domestic manufacturers’ homes, the White House said.
The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services”will launch a paid media crusade to develop COVID-19 VACCINATION, with others over the age of 50, as well as African Americans, Hispanics, rural, Asians/Hawaiians/Pacifics. “American Islanders and Native American/Alaska Native audiences through television, radio, virtual media, and print media. »
The administration is also pushing for “simple access to Covid-19 testing and treatment,” but warned, “While the lack of more COVID-19 investments by Congress limits what we can do, the administration will do everything in its power. strength to ensure that tests and remedies remain widely available and easily accessible, and inspire Americans to use them. “