Regarding Coronavirus Variants How Concerned Should We Be
Most of the genetic changes we see in this virus are like the scars people accumulate over a lifetime incidental marks of the road, most of which have no great significance or functional role, Ray says. When the evidence is strong enough that a viral genetic change is causing a change in the behavior of the virus, we gain new insight regarding how this virus works. The virus seems to have some limitations in its evolution the advantageous mutations are drawn from a relatively limited menu so there is some hope that we might not see variants that fully escape our vaccines.
Updated versions of the current vaccines are being evaluated, but there is no clinical trial evidence yet that variant-specific vaccines would provide significantly greater protection. Though SARS-CoV-2 is changing gradually, its still much less genetically diverse than influenza.
As far as these variants are concerned, we dont need to overreact, Bollinger says. But, as with any virus, changes are something to be watched, to ensure that testing, treatment and vaccines are still effective. The scientists will continue to examine new versions of this coronaviruss genetic sequencing as it evolves.
New Covid Booster Vaccines For Ba: What We Know About The Fall 2022 Rollout
Jessica Rendall
Jessica is a Wellness News Writer who wants to help people stay informed about their health. She’s from the Midwest, studied investigative reporting at the Missouri School of Journalism and is now based in NYC.
What’s happening
Health officials are asking for new boosters that will target the BA.5 subvariant to be rolled out this fall.
Why it matters
COVID-19 is still making people sick and causing hospitalizations and deaths. The older vaccine formulas are still effective at preventing severe disease, but the mutating virus is whittling some of that protection away.
What’s next
The vaccine companies are still working on new formulas and will need to turn their safety and effectiveness data over to the FDA and CDC before new boosters roll out.
In an effort to combat the spread of COVID-19, health officials are preparing for a fall and winter vaccine rollout with omicron-specific boosters to target a more up-to-date version of the virus. The rollout could start as early as September.
The US Food and Drug Administration last month made a recommendation that vaccine manufacturers should make a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine that targets the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of the omicron variant. BA.5 now makes up the majority of COVID-19 cases in the US and is leading another summer surge of COVID-19 cases.
Here’s what we know about the fall COVID-19 vaccine strategy.
Health & Wellnessglobal Covid
Dr. David Buchholz, the senior founding medical director for primary care at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York, agreed that it’s likely that more variants will emerge as the pandemic continues.
“It’s very possible start to have a lot more mutations, so it’s even more reason to get vaccinated, to reduce the risk of ongoing mutations,” said Bucholz, who advised continuing to take other precautions like masking, social distancing and washing your hands.
Jha said that these variants also prove that it’s important to focus on a “global strategy” when it comes to fighting COVID-19.
“I want to be done with this, and the way that we’re going to be done with this is to stop outbreaks everywhere,” Jha said. “The world is interconnected, we live on one planet, and we know that a variant that arises anywhere can threaten people everywhere. We’ve got to have a global strategy, not just an American strategy.”
Don’t Miss: Who Should Get Meningococcal Vaccine
Does The Covid Vaccine Protect Against Ba5 Variant A Doctor Answers
The new BA.5 is one of the “worst” subvariants circulating the country, infecting even those who have immunity from previous infections and vaccines.
Dr. Eric Topol, founder and director of Scripps Research Translational Institute, called the new subvariant “the worst version of the virus that we’ve seen” in an online post in June. He cited its advanced ability to escape immunity and high transmission, in contrast to the original omicron and its family variants, including BA.2 and BA.4.
California’s seven-day test positivity rate is at 16.1%, as of July 12, an increase from 4.3% on May 11, according to the state’s public health dashboard. Reported COVID case numbers have remained steady with 36.1 new cases per 100,000, but hospitalizations with confirmed cases have jumped from the last weekat more than 4,000.
Will current vaccines protect me from BA.5?
Preventing infection from BA.5 with vaccines is probably limited, if it provides any protection at all, said Dr. Stuart Cohen, infectious disease professor and chief of UC Davis Health’s division of infectious diseases.
According to a UC Davis Health news release, BA.5 is a “whole different animal.” It’s the most easily transmissible variant and can evade previous immunity from both infections and vaccinations.
But while current COVID vaccines might not prevent infection, Cohen said it can minimize the amount of damage that the virus causes. He added that those who are experiencing severe infection are unvaccinated people.
Will Vaccines Protect Against The South African Variant
A study from Pfizer earlier this month showed the vaccine to be effective against a key mutation called N501Y, which is present in both the UK variant and the new strain that has emerged in South Africa.
However, a study which has not yet been peer-reviewed found that the South African variant contains mutations that may be resistant to immunity from previous coronavirus infection. It is not yet known if this means it could be resistant to vaccines.
What is true for immunity from infection is likely but not certain to be true for immunity from vaccination,” explains Professor James Naismith, director of the Rosalind Franklin Institute. The vaccines do stimulate very strong responses immunity is a sliding scale, its not an on-off switch.
Sir John Bell, regius professor of medicine at the University of Oxford, who was involved in development of the Oxford vaccine with AstraZeneca, said those who are producing vaccines were responding to these new variants.
Bell told Times Radio that it was relatively straightforward to produce a new vaccine at this stage, adding: So I think its important that people dont get too anxious about it.
Currently, the South African variant is ‘unlikely’ to bypass the protection provided by vaccines, but further mutations could make it resistant.
Recommended Reading: Why Should I Get The Hpv Vaccine
How Does The Covid
Vaccines help our immune system fight future infections. COVID-19 vaccines train our bodies to develop defenses to the disease without having to get sick.
The COVID-19 vaccines help protect people in these ways:
- They can greatly reduce your chance of getting seriously ill, even if you get COVID-19
- Completing the vaccine series reduces your chances of hospitalization and lowers your risk of dying from COVID-19
- They are highly effective at preventing COVID-19
- They add to the number of people in the community who are protected from getting COVID-19 making it harder for the disease to spread
- Experts continue to conduct more studies about the ability of the vaccine to keep people from spreading the virus to others
What This Means For You
If you are worried that the COVID-19 vaccines available will not protect you against the new, more infectious strains of the virus, know that early data have suggested that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is effective.
The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit our coronavirus news page.
You May Like: What Impact Does Reduced Vaccination Have On Herd Immunity
Dr Fauci: We May Need To Upgrade Vaccine For Mutant Strains
“I think this is going to be an evolving situation … But I do think the news so far is positive, but we don’t know everything that we need to know yet,” said Dr. Colleen Kelley, an associate professor of infectious diseases at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia who is involved with the Moderna and Novavax vaccine clinical trials. “… It’s too early to say completely, absolutely, that the vaccines are going to be effective against the variants that we’re hearing about, but I would say this early data looks good.”
Last week, Moderna said that their existing vaccine, which was given emergency approval by the Food and Drug Administration in December, was effective against the United Kingdom variant of the virus. Though an early study found the vaccine was less effective against the South African strain of the virus. The company said they would be tweaking its vaccine to make it more effective against different strains. The tweaked version of the vaccine might be used as a booster shot, according to the company.
In a laboratory study, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which was given emergency authorization by the FDA in December, appeared to only be slightly less effective when tested against the South African variant. However, the study has not yet been peer-reviewed and did not look at the full set of changes found in the variant, only looking at three key mutations, according to Reuters.
Where Did This New Strain Come From
New variants have been seen almost since the virus was first detected in China nearly a year ago. Viruses often mutate or develop small changes, as they reproduce and move through a population.
Most changes are trivial. “It’s the change of one or two letters in the genetic alphabet that doesn’t make much difference in the ability to cause disease,” said Dr Philip Landrigan, a former Centres for Disease Control and Prevention scientist who directs a global health programme at Boston College.
A more concerning situation is when a virus mutates by changing the proteins on its surface to help it escape from drugs or the immune system, or if it acquires a lot of changes that make it very different from previous versions.
Recommended Reading: Which Vaccine Is Walgreens Using
Pfizer Is Testing Its Vaccine Against New Covid
Pfizer said Friday that it can produce a COVID-19 vaccine for the new virus strain identified in South Africa in “approximately 100 days,” subject to government regulatory approval.
The pharmaceutical firm said in a statement to CBS MoneyWatch that its researchers are now conducting tests to see if the company’s existing vaccine is effective against the variant, dubbed “Omicron” by the World Health Organization.
If not, Pfizer said it would “produce a tailor-made vaccine against that variant” alongside its German vaccine partner, BioNTech. Pfizer and BioNTech expect to have results from its tests on Omicron in two weeks, Reuters reported.
A new vaccine would require approval by the Food and Drug Administration, possibly under emergency use authorization. But that would first require U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to declare Omicron a public health emergency. It took Pfizer and BioNTech from December 2020 to August of this year to gain full FDA approval for their vaccine.
“If this variant is as, or more transmissible than the Delta variant, it will be very difficult to anticipate it, to do anything different to what we have seen, which is that it would grow and spread across the world,” Karim said.
Where Are They Spreading
They were spotted circulating in South Africa at the beginning of the year and now appear to be spreading much more quickly than other variants.
Most European countries now have them and they look set to overtake other types of Covid soon. That’s already happened in Portugal – BA.5 is now dominant there.
In the US, officials say they are seeing rising numbers of infections caused by the two new subvariants.
Covid infections in the UK are also increasing, driven by BA.4 and BA.5.
Australia has reported cases too.
Don’t Miss: When Do Side Effects From Vaccine Occur
How Severe Is Monkeypox Is There Treatment
There are two clades or types of monkeypox virus, according to the WHO: the West African clade and the Congo Basin clade. The West African strain, which has been identified in the recent cases, has had a fatality rate of less than 1% in the past. The Congo Basin or Central African clade has a higher mortality rate of up to 10%, according to the WHO.
Though the circulating strain of monkeypox is rarely fatal, according to the CDC, it can be very painful and may result in some scarring. Pregnant people, younger children, people with weakened immune systems and those with a history of eczema may be more likely to get seriously ill, per the agency.
Five deaths have been linked to the current outbreak spreading to nonendemic countries, according to the WHO. No deaths have been reported in the US. About 10% of people with monkeypox have been admitted to the hospital to manage their pain, Tedros said Wednesday.
Antiviral medication like tecovirimat can be used in people who are at risk of getting severely sick from monkeypox, according to the CDC. This treatment isn’t approved specifically for monkeypox and access to it has been restricted with paperwork and strict ordering instructions. However, the CDC recently loosened restrictions around the drug.
Vaccination Is The Best Protection Against Delta
The most important thing you can do to protect yourself from Delta, Omicron, or any COVID-19 variant is to get fully vaccinated, the doctors say. Recommendations for boosters and who is eligible to get one have been changing, and .
Meanwhile, experts continue to recommend infection prevention strategies, including following its latest guidelines on wearing masks, washing hands, being careful around crowds, social distancing, and testing.
Note: Information provided in Yale Medicine articles is for general informational purposes only. No content in the articles should ever be used as a substitute for medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician. Always seek the individual advice of your health care provider with any questions you have regarding a medical condition.
Recommended Reading: What Is The Bacterial Meningitis Vaccine
What Is A Variant Virus
A variant occurs when the virus mutates, or changes, as it replicates and creates a slightly different version of itself. Sometimes, these variant strains just disappear these are the viruses that don’t make the news and scientists are not worried about them.
Occasionally, a strain becomes a variant of concern when it is able to survive better than the original virus or previous variants of concern.
They can become more easily passed from one person to another than the original strain or variants. They could also become more or less likely to cause serious illness.
Monkeypox Is A Public Health Emergency In The Us: Here’s What To Know
Jessica Rendall
Jessica is a Wellness News Writer who wants to help people stay informed about their health. She’s from the Midwest, studied investigative reporting at the Missouri School of Journalism and is now based in NYC.
What’s happening
The monkeypox outbreak is growing in the US and other countries. The Biden administration has declared a public health emergency.
Why it matters
To stop monkeypox from becoming a disease that regularly circulates in the US, we need to slow the outbreak with tools like vaccines and testing.
What it means for you
Anyone can get monkeypox, but men who have sex with men are currently the people most impacted. If you have an unexplained sore or think you may have been exposed, seek medical care.
As of Thursday, monkeypox is officially considered a public health emergency in the US. The declaration will open up more funding and resources needed to respond to the outbreak, including vaccines, testing and treatments. Earlier this week, the Biden administration announced the formation of a White House monkeypox response team to advise the administration on how to stop the outbreak.
“We are applying lessons learned from the battles we’ve fought — from COVID response to wildfires to measles, and will tackle this outbreak with the urgency this moment demands,” White House National Monkeypox Response Coordinator Robert Fenton said in a press release.
“Stigma and discrimination can be as dangerous as any virus,” Tedros said.
Also Check: How Many People Got The Vaccine
What Can I Do To Reduce My New Covid Strain Risk
Follow the advice to wear a mask, wash your hands often, maintain social distance, and avoid crowds, public health experts say.
“The bottom line is we need to suppress transmission” of the coronavirus, said the WHO’s director-general, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“The more we allow it to spread, the more mutations will happen.”
What Is A Variant Of Concern
Coronavirus variants are classified in different categories by organizations such as the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
A variant of interest is a coronavirus variant that, compared with earlier forms of the virus, has genetic characteristics that predict greater transmissibility, evasion of immunity or diagnostic testing, or more severe disease.
A variant of concern has been observed to be more infectious, and is more likely to cause breakthrough infections or reinfections in those who are vaccinated or previously infected. These variants are more likely to cause severe disease, evade diagnostic tests, or resist antiviral treatment. Alpha, beta, gamma, delta and omicron variants of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus are classified as variants of concern.
A variant of high consequence is a variant for which current vaccines do not offer protection. As of now, there are no SARS-CoV-2 variants of high consequence.
Recommended Reading: Is The Shingrix Vaccine A Live Virus