Is It Safe To Mix And Match Vaccine And Booster Brands
Yes. The US Food and Drug Administration has authorized mixing COVID-19 boosters, which in the US means Moderna and Pfizer. Any adult eligible for a booster can get any of the available brands of coronavirus vaccines. If you initially received Johnson & Johnson and it’s been two months or longer since you received the initial dose, you’ll be able to get the Moderna or Pfizer booster. If you received Moderna or Pfizer for your first two shots, you could pick any authorized vaccine available to you, if you qualify and it’s been six months or longer since your second shot.
In its study, the CDC found 95% of those who got Moderna for the first round of vaccine shots chose Moderna for the booster dose.
About Boosters And The Omicron Variant
Scientists are still studying how strong protection with current COVID-19 vaccines will be against the new Omicron variant. But the vaccines offer strong protection against other variants. If we do find that theres a variant different enough that a current vaccine wont protect against it, you may need to get an updated vaccine. That shouldnt prevent you from getting a booster now.
It’s safe to get several vaccines in a year. Vaccines have pieces of germs or viruses, killed germs, or weakened germs in them. The goal of a vaccine is to teach your immune system to make antibodies to fight off the real virus if you are exposed to it. In the natural state, your body is exposed to thousands of germs. Your body then makes antibodies in response. Vaccines are a safer way for your body to learn to make antibodies to some of the more dangerous viruses, like COVID-19. But vaccines use the same natural process of your immune system, which is already activated often by germs and viruses.
Role Of The Advisory Committee On Immunization Practices In Cdcs Vaccine Recommendations
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sets the U.S. adult and childhood immunization schedules based on recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices .
- Before recommending any vaccine, ACIP considers many factors, including the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.
- Candidates for ACIP membership are screened carefully prior to being selected to join the committee.
- ACIP develops vaccine recommendations for children and adults. The recommendations include the age when the vaccine should be given, the number of doses needed, the amount of time between doses, and precautions and contraindications.
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Learning From History And Ai
One group of Canadian researchers is looking to take the decision out of human hands to a certain extent. Professors at three universities in Ontario and Nova Scotia are building an artificial intelligence model that they believe will be able to analyze all the factors at play and provide guidance on how to most effectively deploy vaccines.
Daniel Ashlock, a math professor at the University of Guelph, said in a press release that the model will be made freely available to public-health decision makers, potentially as soon as late this summer.
“Knowing who, how and where to vaccine first is critically important to mitigating the spread of the virus,” he said, suggesting that the tool could be used to determine whether vaccinating grocery store workers or vulnerable populations will have a greater effect on public health, for example.
When making those sorts of decisions, public health officials may also look to guidance that was created in preparation for another pandemic one of influenza.
The Public Health Agency of Canada ‘s planning guidance for a flu pandemic, which was last updated in 2018, includes 28 questions meant to inform decisions around who to vaccinate first, covering everything from the characteristics of the vaccine itself to what is happening elsewhere in the world to political considerations.
“There are still so many questions about the role of children in transmitting this virus,” she said.
How Much Can The Feds Do
There are also questions around how much PHAC and the federal government will be able to mandate. The flu pandemic guidance specifically notes that it “is not an actual response plan” and that provinces and territories ultimately have jurisdiction over most aspects of pandemic response, while the federal role is largely limited to procuring supplies, overseeing research and building a national consensus.
Thompson said she would like to see the government work toward a national strategy with full buy-in from each province and territory, especially because of the amount of “cross-border activity” and travel happening within the country.
“It may not make a lot of sense from an epidemiological perspective to not do that, but it also morally might be problematic if one province’s or territory’s strategy is not equitable with the rest of the country,” she said.
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, has said that the government has no plans to order provinces and territories to make vaccinations mandatory. Alberta, for one, has said that it will not require vaccinations.
Tam said June 2 that the government has begun procuring the supplies it will need to conduct “mass vaccinations” and planning for how vaccines will be administered once they are approved for use.
“Whoever does get the vaccine first is going to have a lot of power,” Thompson said.
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Are There Any Risks Of Getting Booster Shots
So far, the reactions reported after booster immunization were similar to the major series of two or single doses. You can safely tell the CDC about side effects. When you enter a booster shot into your secure account, the system will send you a daily health check.The most common adverse reactions reported were fever, headache, malaise, and pain at the injection site, and overall, most adverse reactions were mild to moderate. However, as with the two-shot or single-dose primary series, serious side effects are rare but can occur.
When Will People In Low
While the vaccine supply is still limited, people who fall into low-risk categories wont likely get access until next year when there are more doses available and higher-risk groups have been vaccinated. If you are younger, dont have underlying conditions, and you are able to work from home and isolate yourself from others, youll likely be towards the end of the line and receive the vaccine sometime in 2021.
Additionally, the vaccines havent been studied yet in certain populations, such as children. Theyve only been studied in adults who are not pregnant. So until clinical trials have been conducted in other populations, vaccines are not likely to be recommended to these groups.
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Why Do I Need A Booster
Early studies from UK researchers suggest a booster vaccine – on top of the first two jabs – will provide 80-85% protection against Omicron .
More antibodies are developed thanks to the booster, giving the body stronger defences against the virus.
It makes it harder for Omicron to infect the body, although current vaccines are still not a perfect match.
Essential And Frontline Occupations
About 70 percent of workers in the U.S. have jobs that are considered essential. A subset are considered frontline workers, meaning their jobs cannot be performed from home. Hover or tap to see each job.
Essential
Frontline
An independent committee of medical experts that advises the C.D.C. on immunization practices will soon vote on whom to recommend for the second phase of vaccination Phase 1b. In a meeting last month, all voting members of the committee indicated support for putting essential workers ahead of people 65 and older and those with high-risk health conditions.
Historically, the committee relied on scientific evidence to inform its decisions. But now the members are weighing social justice concerns as well, noted Lisa A. Prosser, a professor of health policy and decision sciences at the University of Michigan.
To me the issue of ethics is very significant, very important for this country, Dr. Peter Szilagyi, a committee member and a pediatrics professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, said at the time, and clearly favors the essential worker group because of the high proportion of minority, low-income and low-education workers among essential workers.
But ultimately, the decision will be up to governors and state and local health officials. They are not required to follow C.D.C. guidelines, though historically they have done so.
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Every Country Wants A Covid
The Chinese company Sinovac Biotech developed an experimental vaccine for SARS back in 2004. That disease went away after killing just 800 people, and the project was shelved. But it meant that when the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, exploded in China last January, the company had a road map for what to do next. Four months later, it published evidence that it could protect monkeys against the disease using a simple vaccine made from killed virus.
This story was part of our September 2020 issue
So in June Sinovac struck a deal with a Brazilian vaccine center, the Butantan Institute in São Paulo, to run a large trial there on about 9,000 health-care workers. For Brazil, battered by covid-19, the study comes with a clear quid pro quo. Butantan will pay for the trial and recruit volunteers in exchange, Sinovac has promised to supply Brazil with 60 million vaccine doses and to let it manufacture further supplies as well.
Brazil can do that because, since the 1980s, it has carefully protected its ability to study, manufacture, and bottle vaccines at Butantan and at a second center near Rio de Janeiro. The national immunization program of Brazil has self-sufficiency as a goal, says Ricardo Palacios, the Butantan infectious-disease doctor who is running the study.
Should People Who Are Pregnant Get A Booster Shot
The COVID-19 booster recommendations apply to all people 18 years and older, including those who are pregnant. The CDC urges pregnant people to get a COVID-19 vaccine, a booster is half a full vaccine dose.
“People who are pregnant or recently pregnant are more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19 compared with people who are not pregnant,” the CDC says on its website.
While there is no evidence that getting vaccinated decreases fertility in women or men, a recent study also linked COVID-19 infection in pregnant people to a higher risk of stillbirth.
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What Are The Side Effects Of Moderna’s Booster
Moderna says possible side effects for its booster shot are similar to those from the two primary doses, and include pain or swelling at the injection site, as well as fatigue, muscle pain, headache, fever, chills and nausea.
The good news is, according to the CDC, those who got the Moderna booster dose reported far fewer reactions than they did after the second dose of the vaccine.
Moderna’s booster shot is free of charge for all adults.
Booster Shots Crushed Israels Delta Wave Its Betting A Fourth Dose Will Do The Same To Omicron
TEL AVIV Israels decision this week to become the first country to recommend a fourth vaccine dose to combat the highly contagious omicron variant came after health officials concluded that an initial booster had turned the tide this fall against the delta variant.
While they acknowledged that their decision was not based on new scientific data about the omicron variant, officials said they thought it would be prudent to recommend an additional shot because they believe that the ability of the initial booster to prevent infection has been waning over time.
The , announced by Israeli officials Tuesday, will make a fourth dose or second booster of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine available to people over 60, those with compromised immune systems and employees in the health-care sector. All eligible recipients would need to have had their third dose more than four months prior.
The decision is still awaiting confirmation by Health Ministry Director Nachman Ash before becoming national policy. But facilities across the country are preparing to begin administering the vaccine, with many saying they are ready to start as early as Sunday.
According to Health Ministry data, 1,400 people tested positive Wednesday for the coronavirus, 45 percent of whom were fully vaccinated. In Israel, that means they were at least 12 years old and had received a booster shot at least one week prior, or were within six months of having received a second vaccination shot.
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Phase : The General Population
The final phase, phase 4, would allow all remaining U.S. citizens to get vaccinated.
Everyone is at risk of acquiring an infection and the task force hopes to see high vaccination rates in the general population.
The more people who are protected, the less readily this virus will be able to move through our population and be transmitted and find people who are seriously ill, says Schaffner.
The vaccine will also be given in two doses a month apart, which could further complicate the process.
Is Moderna Working On Additional Covid Vaccine Boosters
On Monday, Moderna president Stephen Hoge said the company’s current 50-microgram COVID booster gives “quite respectable” protection. The company is continuing to study an omicron-specific vaccine and a multivalent one that could protect against other variants, including the alpha and delta strains, in case either is needed.
The company said it is also studying a 100-microgram version of its current vaccine booster, which appears to raise antibody protection 83 fold. Hoge said Moderna could have new versions of its vaccine ready early in 2022 but is not planning to ask the CDC and FDA to amend its booster authorization for the 100-microgram trial version of its booster.
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Is The Pfizer Booster The Same As The First Two Shots
Yes. According to Pfizer, its COVID-19 booster would be a third jab of the same vaccine you got with the first two doses.
For more on coronavirus treatments and vaccines, here’s what we know about monoclonal antibody treatments, the new federal vaccine mandates and why some people may not want the shot.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
What Will The Vaccines Cost
In July, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced a $1.95bn deal to secure 100 million vaccine doses from Pfizer. The agreement also allows the US government to purchase an additional 500 million doses.
Moderna received nearly $1bn from the US government for coronavirus research. They are set to receive an additional $1.5bn for 100 million doses, according to a deal signed in August.
Billions of dollars have also been promised to other drug companies in the event that they are able to bring additional vaccines to market.
The CDC says that vaccines purchases with taxpayer money will free, but providers may still charge for administering the jab. That fee may be reimbursed by health insurance companies or the Medicaid and Medicare programmes social safety nets for low income and elderly Americans.
States are also racing to acquire ultra-cold refrigerators that are capable of storing the Pfizer vaccine, which much be kept at temperatures of minus 70C .
Each refrigerator costs tens of thousands of dollars, and have been harder to find in recent days as hospitals race to purchase them.
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Who Will Get The Coronavirus Vaccine First
We need to start planning now.
In the race to develop a Covid-19 vaccine, a lot of attention has been paid to the types of vaccinesbeing developed and their progress through the various stages of a clinical trial. A lot less attention has been paid to what happens after a vaccine is approved by the regulators.
As recognized by a US scientific committee, governments need to start planning how they will distribute a vaccine efficiently and fairly, because, when a vaccine is approved, most countries wonât have enough doses to vaccinate everyone.
Governments need to make decisions now so that vaccine allocation can begin as soon as one becomes available. Without a clear plan, valuable time will be lost and governments may be forced into quick decisions that fail to realize the full potential of a vaccine.
So what are these decisions governments must make? First, should they allow the vaccine to be bought privately or only through public channels, such as a countryâs national health service? In most countries, people can gain preferential access to most medicines by buying them privately. However, the pandemic is arguably akin to a war situation where vital goods in limited supply should be rationed.
The allocation must also be fair. This is especially important considering that Covid-19 affects disadvantaged groups particularly badly. So vaccination programs could also be assessed according to how much they are likely to increase or decrease existing inequalities.
Who Actually Decides Which Groups Get The Vaccine First
While the CDC has issued recommendations for priority groups, the decision ultimately falls to state and local levels. States may decide to follow the CDC recommendations, but they also have flexibility in tailoring their decision to their states needs. For example, some states may also prioritize workers in specific industries that are significant in their local economies.
To prepare for the release of a vaccine, states were asked to submit plans detailing how they would roll out the vaccinations. The plans included key details like which populations get it first, who is going to administer it, and how everything is going to be tracked.
You can access an interactive map to find more information on your states specific plans here.
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