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3rd Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine Authorized for Immunocompromised in US

Vaccines

đź’ĄBREAKINGđź’Ą: 3rd dose COVID-19 vaccine authorization & recommendation for immunocompromised in the U.S. Yesterday (August 12th,) the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized an additional dose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for certain immunocompromised individuals ages 12+. Today (August 13th) the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) also voted to recommend these Read more…

Will the COVID-19 vaccines encourage the emergence of new variants or immune evasion?

Biology/Immunity COVID Variants Vaccines

A: No. Vaccines REDUCE opportunities for viral replication needed for variants to emerge. ➡️ TL;DR: The virus has more opportunity to replicate in unvaccinated populations, creating a FAR bigger risk for the development of SARS-CoV-2 mutations. Even so, the good news is that the emergence of variants that fully evade vaccine induced immunity is considered Read more…

How does natural immunity to SARS-CoV-2 infection differ from immunity generated by COVID-19 vaccines?

Biology/Immunity Vaccines

A. COVID-19 vaccines induce higher levels and a broader range of neutralizing antibodies to the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein than does natural infection. Vaccine-induced antibodies are less likely to be affected by changes in the RBD seen in the current SARS-CoV-2 variants, and are therefore more likely to be more effective Read more…

What should I do about the large discrepancies in vaccine efficacy against the Delta variant being reported across studies?

COVID Variants Vaccines

A: Delta variant, waning immunity, imperfect measurement, or something else? There are a number of reasons why COVID-19 vaccine efficacy may differ across studies. These new reports are measuring the effectiveness of the vaccines in real world settings instead of in a clinical trial. Isolating individual variables in a real-world setting can be difficult. Instead, Read more…

If I got the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, do I need a booster because of Delta?

COVID Variants Vaccines

A: Reply hazy, try again. 🎱 While some scientists are sharing their own personal decision to boost their J&J vaccine with an mRNA second dose, the US vaccine regulators have not endorsed this strategy. This can put clinicians and pharmacists in a tough spot if a patient requests it. Meanwhile, many countries including Canada and Read more…

Why are 40% of COVID hospitalizations in the UK among the vaccinated?

Data and Metrics Data Literacy Vaccines

Q: I heard 40% of COVID hospitalizations in the UK are among the vaccinated. What’s going on, this sounds bad? A: This is a confusing statistic, for sure. This number is actually good news and reflects the really high vaccine coverage of the older population in the UK. 🙋‍♀‍ Wait, what now? Let me explain! Read more…

Can I get a COVID-19 vaccine if I am pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or think I might want to get pregnant soon?

Vaccines

A: Yes. The scientific evidence available to date points to COVID-19 vaccines being safe and effective during pregnancy and having no negative impact on fertility. While pregnant people were not enrolled in the vaccine trials, 23 people got pregnant during the Pfizer trial and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has now Read more…