With the arrival of the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine approved yesterday looming, some Americans are wondering when to get the vaccine: right before the summer wave peaks, a little later in the fall to maximize protection against the coming winter wave, or even just a few weeks before big family events at the end of the year? Of course, only a small fraction of Americans are thinking about these questions.
only 22.5% of adults and 14% of children It is estimated that about 1 million people will be vaccinated in the country in 2023-2024. In contrast, 48.5% of adults and 54% of children This stark difference is observed despite the fact that COVID-19 is more deadly than influenza and that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is evolving more rapidly than seasonal influenza viruses.
At a press conference on Friday, federal health officials quickly shifted focus when reporters asked about the timing of COVID-19 vaccinations in the coming months and the possibility of updating the vaccines twice a year instead of once to keep up with the evolving virus that is producing both summer and winter waves.
“The problem right now, at least my guess, is not that the virus has evolved that much,” Peter Marks, the Food and Drug Administration’s top vaccine regulator, told reporters. “The problem is that we’re not getting the benefit of the vaccine. [to say] “It’s not the vaccine that prevents disease, it’s the vaccination, so it’s important to get vaccinated,” Marks said. When to get the vaccine is a personal choice, but the most important choice is to get vaccinated, Marks continued.
This winter’s forecast
The press conference, attended by several federal health officials, was aimed at highlighting the government’s preparedness and expectations for the upcoming respiratory virus season, with the FDA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) urging all Americans to get vaccinated against respiratory viruses, including influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus.
CDC Director Mandy Cohen gives an introduction Updated Data Site It provides a snapshot of local respiratory virus activity, national trends, data visualizations, and the latest guidance in one place. Meanwhile, HHS said:Risk less and achieve more.“The purpose is to raise awareness of COVID-19 and encourage vaccination, especially among high-risk groups. Even for people who are not high-risk, health officials are emphasizing the importance of vaccination to reduce infections and prevent serious outcomes, including long COVID-19. “No group is without risk,” Cohen said, noting that the group with the highest rate of emergency room visits with COVID-19 were children under the age of 5, who are not typically considered high-risk.
According to Cohen, so far, CDC models predict that this winter’s COVID-19 wave will be comparable to or slightly weaker than last winter’s wave in some indicators. However, he emphasized that the modeling incorporates many assumptions, including how the virus will evolve in the near future and the volume of vaccinations. The modeling assumes that the current Omicron variant continues its evolutionary path and that the vaccination rate in the United States remains roughly the same as last year. Of course, infections could slow if vaccination rates exceed last year’s levels.
