Omicron anecdata?

[wathe]

6 hours ago, Spryte said:

I wear a well fitting N95 indoors. Kids and DH use well fitted, good masks as well — DH and DS wear N95s, DD wears KN94/95, in a kid’s size. DH travels internationally regularly, masked. He dined outdoors while traveling, or stepped outside to drink coffee, eat. We all do outdoor activities unmasked m, including dining and community/family events, travel, exhibits. We mask for indoor events and museums, etc. We are not hermits, we just mask consistently.

We do this too.  Everyone in the family has well-fitted N95's in the style they prefer.   We wear them in all indoor space where anyone is present who doesn't live in our home.  Always and consistently.

We go places and do things: travel, outings, sports teams, socializing.

I work in a covid clinic and an emergency department.  I am steeped in covid-laden air.

None of us had had it yet.  I realize that we will likely eventually all get.  But I want to put that off as long as possible - until there are better vaccine, better therapies, better understanding of long covid.  

Edited September 15, 2022 by wathe

[ktgrok]

DD5 has the sniffles and low fever (99.9). Tested negative. 

Going to be honest, I've not been making her mask at our weekly homeschool get together at the mall food court. She takes it off to eat anyway, and then is playing and frankly, her speech is not quite clear enough at this age for some of the other kids to understand her with the added muffling of the mask. The ceilings are very very high (atrium like), large area, and the food court is pretty deserted other than the people in our group. It's not safe - not at all - but at least the exposure is to fewer people. 

We still mask at church, sunday school, stores, etc. Places where the kids don't have to communicate a ton, or are not trying to make new friends with the added barrier in an already awkward situation. 

I feel badly for "caving" to "peer pressure" but also feel it is the right choice. We went ahead and ordered tests - 8 per month per person - and are testing frequently. We will test twice before seeing my mom - day before and day of. Today I tested DD5 when she started having sniffles, and DD12 tested before going to an escape room with teens from the group, just in case. DD12 will also mask there. 

I think at this point, frequent testing, and masking where it is not a hinderance and giving in and letting kids unmask where it is socially a hinderance to wear one (eating, playing sports, etc) is our strategy. It's not ideal. But given the heat (heat index of 105 most days), most activities right now are indoors. 

[KeriJ]

3 hours ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

?  It's not just anecdotal that some people seem to have a natural immunity.  Scientists are trying to figure out why.  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2022-03-30/are-some-people-super-immune-to-covid

But some people having a natural immunity doesn't discount that many others don't.  And it doesn't discount that vaccines and boosters do not keep you from getting Covid.    Thus the question about whether the boosted person was still masking.  Because the fact that good quality masks are helpful is also not just anecdotal. 

Anecdotes do not replace science.  And they don't explain science.  (Though sometimes science can explain the anecdotes.)  Science doesn't have all the answers yet on what is still a new illness that continues to change (from a broad perspective).  But they are working on it and we really have no reason to not follow mitigation advice based on what they have found so far. 

I wasn't actually making a specific point other than responding to those who say they've never caught Covid because they've always masked. I was saying that maybe that's why or maybe they are just like my dh. That's all.😊

[mommyoffive]

Hundreds of Americans Will Die From COVID Today (msn.com)

[mommyoffive]

What wastewater data signals about COVID rates (msn.com)

[KSera]

On 9/15/2022 at 8:34 AM, Spryte said:

I wear a well fitting N95 indoors. Kids and DH use well fitted, good masks as well — DH and DS wear N95s, DD wears KN94/95, in a kid’s size. DH travels internationally regularly, masked. He dined outdoors while traveling, or stepped outside to drink coffee, eat. We all do outdoor activities unmasked m, including dining and community/family events, travel, exhibits. We mask for indoor events and museums, etc. We are not hermits, we just mask consistently.

Immune issues here, for DS and me, and fortunately our immediate family has rallied around us, because our community has very little masking. We just go about our lives as the lone maskers, and we make sure to dine outside.

We are the only people I know personally who have not had Covid. Pretty sure we will get it at some point, but I feel confident that our diligent masking practices have helped us dodge it as long as we have.

 

 

 

This is exactly us as well. 

On 9/15/2022 at 1:42 PM, wathe said:

None of us had had it yet.  I realize that we will likely eventually all get.  But I want to put that off as long as possible - until there are better vaccine, better therapies, better understanding of long covid.  

100% agree with this. I know it’s likely to get us at some point, especially as the kids are doing more activities now, and most of the other people aren’t masked at those activities (though some have a pleasantly surprisingly high masking rate from the other kids). But the longer we can go without getting it, and the fewer times, definitely the better. I haven’t gotten my bivalent yet. I’m really hoping I don’t get exposed before I can get the new vaccine. 

[mommyoffive]

Research links COVID-19 to increased risk of Alzheimer's diagnosis (msn.com)

[mommyoffive]

Fauci Warns of Anti-Vaxxer Attitude Beyond Covid-19 (msn.com)

[ScoutTN]

32 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Fauci Warns of Anti-Vaxxer Attitude Beyond Covid-19 (msn.com)

I do think this attitude is a problem, but as long as all the basic vaccines continue to be required for school attendance, I don’t forsee a precipitous drop. 

[mommyoffive]

Well this is super sad.

Covid quarantine bus crash in China kills 27 (msn.com)

[Faith-manor]

1 hour ago, ScoutTN said:

I do think this attitude is a problem, but as long as all the basic vaccines continue to be required for school attendance, I don’t forsee a precipitous drop. 

Unfortunately it goes state by state. Here there is NO requirement to provide proof for religious waiver. Tons of folks get them even though their religious group does not actively preach a religious reason to avoid all vaccines. We have schools here in Michigan where the childhood vaccination rates for "required" vaccines have dropped very badly. My niece is Wiccan, and there is no actual Wiccan belief against vaccines preached within her group. She uses it as an excuse to not vaccinate. My great nieces have even had to get stitches for cutting their feet on metal outside when she lived next to a junkyard, and she would not allow them to have a tetanus shot in the E.R. Perfectly legal. So some areas have not only already experienced a significant drop, they are also likely to see it get worse. We have numerous counties in which waivers are 16-17% of the student body, and within those counties, specific school buildings (mostly elementary) in which the vax rate is 65% or below. I guess they think Polio is a walk in the park or something. Sigh.

[bookbard]

2 hours ago, Faith-manor said:

Here there is NO requirement to provide proof for religious waiver.

From what I remember in Australia, they ended up removing the religious waiver because there wasn't a single religion which had anti-vax as a core belief. Even Christian Scientists now allow it. 

[mommyoffive]

State of Affairs (Sept 19): COVID19, MPX, Polio, and... Flu (substack.com)

[ktgrok]

Here you don't need to state what religion, just that you have a religious belief that prevents you from vaccinating in full or part. I actually had one for DS when he started school. We were not anti vaccine but due to some autoimmune issues in his father as well as some other things going on we were doing them more slowly, one shot per visit, spaced out. We had planned to homeschool, so not worried about it, but then my ex HD and I separated a few weeks before kindergarten started and homeschooling wasn't an option. So I got the waiver, to cover us until he got caught up. 

It was a PIA only in that you have to go down to the health department, bring copy of birth certificate, wait in a big line, etc.  So not difficult, but annoying enough to maybe keep some from doing it for no reason?

[bookbard]

The scam over here is more 'medical reasons' for things - the anti-vaxxers all know which Dr you go to who will sign off on that. There was one woman who has now been arrested for signing masses of certificates and charging $$$ for it. But there's probably more out there. 

[mommyoffive]

Lack of Data Still Blunts U.S. Response to Outbreaks (msn.com)

[mommyoffive]

FDA Finds Flaws at Vaccine Factory, Accepts Moderna’s Assurances (msn.com)

[mommyoffive]

Is anyone else still worried about going to the dentist?  I have an apt coming up and it has me wondering if I should go or not. 

[KSera]

14 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Is anyone else still worried about going to the dentist?  I have an apt coming up and it has me wondering if I should go or not. 

Totally still worried. My dentist office has stopped taking reasonable precautions and the CO2 levels were super high there when went. I made myself feel better by thinking that with as much exposure as they have combined with few of them wearing masks properly, they probably have all had the most recent variant already so shouldn't be able to pass it to me right now. That doesn't help with other people in the office though.

[mommyoffive]

Just now, KSera said:

Totally still worried. My dentist office has stopped taking reasonable precautions and the CO2 levels were super high there when went. I made myself feel better by thinking that with as much exposure as they have combined with few of them wearing masks properly, they probably have all had the most recent variant already so shouldn't be able to pass it to me right now. That doesn't help with other people in the office though.

Ok, glad I am not crazy.  It just sucks.  I am ok with the other docs since I can mask and they are all taking precautions still.  The staff except the desk people have always masked even before Covid.  I think I am less worried about them vs the other people there at the time because I live in a special place where Covid has never existed.  And the dentist is an open air place with no rooms for the patients.  I put this off and off during the rising cases.  Ugh.  I am just so tired of weighing choices on what to do.

[catz]

20 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Is anyone else still worried about going to the dentist?  I have an apt coming up and it has me wondering if I should go or not. 

Not at all but our dentist is great.  Still masking, still plexiglass, still limited wait time.  Med grade filters in every bay.   

But I'm so glad our medical offices are so diligent!  

[mommyoffive]

Just now, catz said:

Not at all but our dentist is great.  Still masking, still plexiglass, still limited wait time.  Med grade filters in every bay.   

But I'm so glad our medical offices are so diligent!  

So jealous.  Our dentist and ortho are not doing that much.  And both are open air places where there is not blocking from patient to patient.   I feel dumb worrying about stuff because nobody around me is worried about anything.  

Our eye doc and other docs are all still requiring masks so that is awesome.   Our eye doc actually has tons of rules still in place which I love.  

[mommyoffive]

Welp I just called and the only rule that they did have in place asking the patients to mask they don't have anymore oh and sign something saying you haven't been exposed to covid.  Oh if only it was that easy to know.   So I cancelled all of our apts.  Just annoyed, frustrated, and mad right now.   They have no filters or anything, just regular air the receptionist told me.   Maybe I need to be looking for a new dentist.  Sigh.   Of course that will mean going to another town. 

[KSera]

2 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Welp I just called and the only rule that they did have in place asking the patients to mask they don't have anymore oh and sign something saying you haven't been exposed to covid.  Oh if only it was that easy to know.   So I cancelled all of our apts.  Just annoyed, frustrated, and mad right now.   They have no filters or anything, just regular air the receptionist told me.   Maybe I need to be looking for a new dentist.  Sigh.   Of course that will mean going to another town. 

Yeah, ours had filters in each room early on, so I don’t know why they took them back out again. Why not leave them? And they have windows but they are never open. 

[mommyoffive]

1 minute ago, KSera said:

Yeah, ours had filters in each room early on, so I don’t know why they took them back out again. Why not leave them? And they have windows but they are never open. 

Are we going to the same dentist???  🙂  Yep ours has windows too.  Open them.  I mean not the whole time in the winter, but in btwn patients that would be so smart.  Ours had filters in the room early on too, I agree keep them.  But maybe I am the only one who cares.

[Mom_to3]

Yes - still worried about the dentist too, and both DH and I really should be going. It is crazy that they didn't keep up with the innovations (why would they remove air filters they had already purchased? The cost of running them/changing filters? How many cavities worth of filling is that?). Since we'll probably end up with more than one visit each, it feels inevitable that we'll catch covid.

Edited to add: I wish there were a website for dentists who are still taking precautions in different areas of the country. I would definitely drive quite a distance for one. Web searches haven't been successful.

Edited September 22, 2022 by Mom_to3

[Jean in Newcastle]

29 minutes ago, Mom_to3 said:

Yes - still worried about the dentist too, and both DH and I really should be going. It is crazy that they didn't keep up with the innovations (why would they remove air filters they had already purchased? The cost of running them/changing filters? How many cavities worth of filling is that?). Since we'll probably end up with more than one visit each, it feels inevitable that we'll catch covid.

Edited to add: I wish there were a website for dentists who are still taking precautions in different areas of the country. I would definitely drive quite a distance for one. Web searches haven't been successful.

As far as I can tell, the following states require masks in all healthcare setting (which would include dentists):

California 

Colorado 

Connecticut 

D.C.

Illinois 

Massachusetts 

New Jersey

Washington 

(I can’t change the formatting despite trying and trying so please forgive the random bolded California , the large type and the spacing).  

[Harriet Vane]

5 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

Is anyone else still worried about going to the dentist?  I have an apt coming up and it has me wondering if I should go or not. 

Yes, definitely. No one in my state masks. However, the dentist and hygienists DO mask while working on me so at least I do not get a direct hit. And I feel that dental health is important, especially as I age, so I choose to take that risk.

[Ausmumof3]

7 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

Is anyone else still worried about going to the dentist?  I have an apt coming up and it has me wondering if I should go or not. 

I am but we have bad teeth in general so it’s one of the risk I think we just have to take. 

[whitestavern]

2 hours ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

As far as I can tell, the following states require masks in all healthcare setting (which would include dentists):

California 

Colorado 

Connecticut 

D.C.

Illinois 

Massachusetts 

New Jersey

Washington 

(I can’t change the formatting despite trying and trying so please forgive the random bolded California , the large type and the spacing).  

CT’s mandate expired in April. Masks are no longer required in hospitals or healthcare settings. 

[mommyoffive]

3 hours ago, Mom_to3 said:

Yes - still worried about the dentist too, and both DH and I really should be going. It is crazy that they didn't keep up with the innovations (why would they remove air filters they had already purchased? The cost of running them/changing filters? How many cavities worth of filling is that?). Since we'll probably end up with more than one visit each, it feels inevitable that we'll catch covid.

Edited to add: I wish there were a website for dentists who are still taking precautions in different areas of the country. I would definitely drive quite a distance for one. Web searches haven't been successful.

I was thinking this as I posted my update.  I was searching different dentist websites hoping to see something that said they have some covid rules.

[mommyoffive]

BF.7 could be the next dominant COVID variant. Here's what would mean (msn.com)

Did the U.S. jump the gun with the new omicron-targeted vaccines? | Salon.com

[Malory]

https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/covid19vaccine/100741

Vax Protection Fades Fast Against BA.4/5-Related Hospitalizations

— South African study makes the case for more frequent boosters

[Mom_to3]

13 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

BF.7 could be the next dominant COVID variant. Here's what would mean (msn.com)

Did the U.S. jump the gun with the new omicron-targeted vaccines? | Salon.com

The most interesting part of the second  article in Salon.com, highlighting what a colossal failure it is for our government to drop the ball on funding for covid : "The federal government has been paying a negotiated price of $15 to $19.50 a dose of mRNA vaccine under a purchasing agreement signed during the height of the pandemic. When those government agreements lapse, analysts expect the price to triple or quadruple, and perhaps even more for updated yearly covid boosters," 

[mommyoffive]

Ugh.  I just got 2 of my kids boosted.  I might have waited if I had read this yesterday.  UGHHH.

Does anyone know if kids will be allowed to mix and match for the booster shot?

 

Moderna asks FDA to authorize omicron booster shots for kids as young as 6 (yahoo.com)

Moderna on Friday said it has asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to authorize its COVID-19 bivalent booster shot for adolescents and children as young as 6 years old.

The application for children ages 6 months to under 6 years is expected to be completed later this year, the company said.

The announcement was made on Twitter, with no additional details.

Moderna’s booster shot is currently authorized for adults, while the bivalent booster from Pfizer/BioNTech is authorized for adolescents as young as 12. They have not yet asked FDA to authorize the shot for younger kids.

In a document published earlier this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it anticipates a recommendation for bivalent COVID-19 boosters for young children in early- to mid-October, pending FDA authorization.

 

 

Edited September 24, 2022 by mommyoffive

[Matryoshka]

On 9/23/2022 at 12:48 PM, Malory said:

https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/covid19vaccine/100741

Vax Protection Fades Fast Against BA.4/5-Related Hospitalizations

— South African study makes the case for more frequent boosters

Yep, that's why I've gotten all my boosters (2+2) and why I also went out and got the new Omicron booster (this study is only measuring effectiveness against original 2+1 'original' booster - it has no info on 2nd booster or more importantly no info on the Omicron bivalent booster that we now have in the US).  I hope that the bivalent booster is (much) more effective against Omicron, than the original one, but I still expect its efficacy will likely fade faster than we'd like.  The hope for yearly boosters as adequate is I think still overly hopeful...

[TexasProud]

So, I had the two dose original vaccine in March and April of 2021.  Had the second shot in mid December 2021. Got Covid in July of 2022.  I plan to get my flu shot in the next couple of weeks.  So I am thinking November or December for the new bivalent vaccine? I don't need to get the other booster first, right?

[Matryoshka]

1 hour ago, TexasProud said:

So, I had the two dose original vaccine in March and April of 2021.  Had the second shot in mid December 2021. Got Covid in July of 2022.  I plan to get my flu shot in the next couple of weeks.  So I am thinking November or December for the new bivalent vaccine? I don't need to get the other booster first, right?

I think your logic about timing is sound.  And no need for another 'regular' booster now that the upgrade is here.

[HSmomof2]

We’re 24 hours out from getting our flu and Covid boosters (Pfizer)…..we all (me, dh, ds(20), dd(18)) just have sore arms. So far no fever, aches, or headaches like we had with prior Covid vaccines, even with flu shot added. 

[catz]

Well, my DH had covid booster and flu shot yesterday and has no side effects.  His arm is barely sore!  This was #5 for him.  He's not had many side effects.  My first 2 were fine, my 2nd 2 took me down from about 10-30 hours post vax.  I'm encouraged by HSmomof2's update, crossing fingers maybe the reactions go down!

BUT my high school senior tested faintly positive this morning.  She found yesterday about mid day out she had a contact last Friday.  She said her voice was a little off.  She tested negative about 2:30 pm.  But later she got more hoarse and we put her into isolation in a bedroom with an air purifier and a fan blowing out.  She tested faintly positive about 10:30 am.  She said she just feels like she has a cold.  But we were able to do an online appointment to get her a prescription for an inhaler.  She's always used an inhaler when she gets a cold.  She's gotten bronchitis a few times we didn't do that.  That was really slick - online appointment and prescription within the hour!  And capsule is delivering it tonight!  

Here's hoping my husband and I don't get it. Crossing fingers since she tested negative yesterday and faintly this morning we got her hidden away quick enough.  This is our first run with covid in the house (college student away at school did have a mostly asymptomatic positive during the big wave like in feb-march time frame).  We have been SO careful but you can't tie these kids down forever.  She got it at her dual enrollment stuff almost certainly (at a big 10 university).

Edited September 28, 2022 by catz

[freesia]

And dh has Covid again. He’s had the original vaccines and got Covid in the summer of 2021. He was at a men’s conference this weekend. So far the rest of us are negative. I have him isolated. We had a day and a half of contact.  I am really tired of this…

[Mom_to3]

Anecdotally, insane levels of covid right now among both students and faculty at my university. Many first timers.  Of course the university does not report anything anymore to us so it is all "hidden" and yet so obvious. Wastewater levels in the region are higher than they've ever been over an extended period of time while classes were in session in person (Omicron last winter was kind of inbetween semesters), and there are no more precautions, but this is ... insane. And we (faculty) are expected to deal with the fallout of outbreaks - all very quietly, as we are not allowed to mention positive cases in class. I do NOT know if people even report to the university.

[mommyoffive]

5 hours ago, catz said:

Well, my DH had covid booster and flu shot yesterday and has no side effects.  His arm is barely sore!  This was #5 for him.  He's not had many side effects.  My first 2 were fine, my 2nd 2 took me down from about 10-30 hours post vax.  I'm encouraged by HSmomof2's update, crossing fingers maybe the reactions go down!

BUT my high school senior tested faintly positive this morning.  She found yesterday about mid day out she had a contact last Friday.  She said her voice was a little off.  She tested negative about 2:30 pm.  But later she got more hoarse and we put her into isolation in a bedroom with an air purifier and a fan blowing out.  She tested faintly positive about 10:30 am.  She said she just feels like she has a cold.  But we were able to do an online appointment to get her a prescription for an inhaler.  She's always used an inhaler when she gets a cold.  She's gotten bronchitis a few times we didn't do that.  That was really slick - online appointment and prescription within the hour!  And capsule is delivering it tonight!  

Here's hoping my husband and I don't get it. Crossing fingers since she tested negative yesterday and faintly this morning we got her hidden away quick enough.  This is our first run with covid in the house (college student away at school did have a mostly asymptomatic positive during the big wave like in feb-march time frame).  We have been SO careful but you can't tie these kids down forever.  She got it at her dual enrollment stuff almost certainly (at a big 10 university).

Here is my story.  I have had 4 shots now of all Moderna.  First 2 shots no effects that I could note other than a sore arm.

1st booster I had with my flu shot last year.  I was down for 5 or 6 days.  I felt awful. 

Just got my Omi booster on Sat afternoon.  I was really tired going in because of a week of little sleep.  Sore arm about 1 min after the shot.  By 7 or 8 I was getting a headache.  However I get them all the time and the weather was changing/stormy.  I think I felt feverish overnight and maybe the next day.  But I also get hot flashes.  Still had the headache Sunday and I didn't want to take anything to interfere with the shot.  Still had the headache Monday, but that was it.  Took some pain reliever and have been 100% ever since.  So it could have just been a migraine I didn't treat and then it never went away.  Oh and this time I did not get my flu shot at the same time.  I am going back in for that later.

[mommyoffive]

Global study confirms link between COVID-19 vaccine, longer menstrual cycle (msn.com)

[mommyoffive]

YES!!

Pfizer and BioNTech Submit Application to U.S. FDA for Emergency Use Authorization of Omicron BA.4/BA.5-Adapted Bivalent Vaccine Booster in Children 5 Through 11 Years of Age

Pfizer and BioNTech Submit Application to U.S. FDA for Emergency Use Authorization of Omicron BA.4/BA.5-Adapted Bivalent Vaccine Booster in Children 5 Through 11 Years of Age | Pfizer

[KSera]

6 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

YES!!

Pfizer and BioNTech Submit Application to U.S. FDA for Emergency Use Authorization of Omicron BA.4/BA.5-Adapted Bivalent Vaccine Booster in Children 5 Through 11 Years of Age

Pfizer and BioNTech Submit Application to U.S. FDA for Emergency Use Authorization of Omicron BA.4/BA.5-Adapted Bivalent Vaccine Booster in Children 5 Through 11 Years of Age | Pfizer

I’m really eager to see some data of how this vaccine is working in the real world. I’m sure it will be a while longer, and I don’t have a kid eligible for the bivalent vaccine right now anyway, but I’m hoping we’ll have some data on how it’s working in adults at least before my younger ones are eligible.

Edited September 28, 2022 by KSera
Typo

[mommyoffive]

1 minute ago, KSera said:

I’m really eager to see some data of how this vaccine is working in the real world. I’m sure it will be a while longer, and I don’t have a kid eligible for the bivalent vaccine right now anyway, but I’m hoping we’ll have some data on how it’s working in adults at least before my younger ones are eligible.

And I would love to know about the Moderna booster for kids.  I don't can you cross them if you had Pfizer for your other doses?  Are they letting kids do that?  

I would love data on the shots in general too.  Sigh.  My kids who have gotten it asked and I have nothing to report to them about it.  Pie in the sky dream would be how the original shot worked before Delta came on the scene.  But I will take any good news.  

[kbutton]

8 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

And I would love to know about the Moderna booster for kids.  I don't can you cross them if you had Pfizer for your other doses?  Are they letting kids do that?  

I would love data on the shots in general too.  Sigh.  My kids who have gotten it asked and I have nothing to report to them about it.  Pie in the sky dream would be how the original shot worked before Delta came on the scene.  But I will take any good news.  

I don’t think Moderna has a booster for kids, at least not for teens. 

[mommyoffive]

1 hour ago, kbutton said:

I don’t think Moderna has a booster for kids, at least not for teens. 

I just posted about it on the last page. Hopefully coming in Oct.

Moderna asks FDA to authorize omicron booster shots for kids as young as 6 (yahoo.com)

Moderna on Friday said it has asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to authorize its COVID-19 bivalent booster shot for adolescents and children as young as 6 years old.

The application for children ages 6 months to under 6 years is expected to be completed later this year, the company said.

The announcement was made on Twitter, with no additional details.

Moderna’s booster shot is currently authorized for adults, while the bivalent booster from Pfizer/BioNTech is authorized for adolescents as young as 12. They have not yet asked FDA to authorize the shot for younger kids.

In a document published earlier this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it anticipates a recommendation for bivalent COVID-19 boosters for young children in early- to mid-October, pending FDA authorization

[mommyoffive]

Fall bivalent boosters: Science update (substack.com)

The first preprint solidifies #1 and #3. Before now, we’ve relied on mice data to show that bivalent BA.4/5 vaccine increased neutralizing antibodies. But, now we have data on humans. Scientists measured antibodies in individuals who had three mRNA vaccines and a BA.4/5 breakthrough infection. (This can act as a proxy for the BA.4/5 booster.) They found antibodies were very high and were high against all Omicron subvariants studied. In other words, the bivalent booster will enhance protection against Omicron, which will help prevent infection and transmission. This is not surprising, but reassuring.

The second preprint points to #3. This is a study we’ve all been waiting for. Scientists studied B-cells—our antibody factories—and, particularly, whether we could make new B-cells (update the factory line after seeing another variant). This is important to study to ensure we don’t have original antigenic sin. (If you haven’t already, read this previous post on original antigenic sin where I attempt to explain this concept.) The current study showed that while we do have imprinting (which is normal and expected), we do make new B-cells after an updated Omicron vaccine. In fact, the authors stated, “immunization with an antigenically distant spike can overcome the antigenic imprinting by the primary vaccination series.” This means that an updated booster will increase the diversity of our antibodies and that memory will be retained by our immune systems.

Edited September 28, 2022 by mommyoffive