2nd Booster for People Less than 50
The Omicron BA.5 variant is now spreading fast and is over 60% of infections this last week. Breakthrough infections have increased, and now hospitalizations and deaths are increasing. The BA.5 variant is much more transmissible, in part because there is some immune escape from the antibodies. It does not seem to be more severe and vaccination does reduce hospitalizations and deaths. The FDA/CDC are now in discussions whether a second booster will be offered to people <50 if they are more than 4 months after their 1st booster. Dr. Walenski (CDC), Dr. Jha (White House Pandemic Coordinator,) and Dr. Fauci (NIAID/NIH) are reported to be in favor of reducing the age to get a second booster. The CDC and FDA will make the decision. I will try to follow the announcements and post the information re: approval as soon as it is available.
Booster shots are strongly recommended, antibodies do increase after both the 1st booster (3rd shot of mRNA vaccine) and data shows that they also are increased after the 2nd booster (4th shot). A new CDC study found that 2nd boosters can restore vaccine protection against hospitalization and death that might have waned over time. Some younger immunodeficient people can also get the boosters. The FDA and CDC expect that the new bivalent booster, containing the original Wuhan virus strains combined with the Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5, will be available in October. It is recommended however that you don't wait for the Fall booster, but instead get the current booster for which you are eligible - if you are 5 months after your primary series of 2 shots, and 4 months after your 1st booster. See Below
My current plan is to follow new information about SARS-CoV-2 and Covid-19 and to post it to my Blog and Facebook page when there is significant new information about the pandemic, (vaccines, drugs, and variants). For now I will add a collage and info only on Saturdays for the time being.