Join Those Nerdy Girls for answers to your questions about COVID-19 and more. Today’s topics include boosters, masking, and the media frenzy about erythritol and health. Hosted by: – Jenn Dowd, PhD:TNG Editor in Chief & Founding Member – Chana Davis, PhD: TNG Contributing Writer & Founder of Fueled by Science ➡️ Hello and Introductions: Read more…
A: Yes! COVID-19 vaccines are safe to give with other vaccines. Vaccination is incredibly important and delaying vaccination can result in increased risks of infection, serious illness, or death. Many parents and families worry about giving the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as other routine childhood vaccines. But we come with good news! It Read more…
Fun!! We are jealous! The CDC monitors infectious diseases all over the world and makes recommendations for immunizations you might need that aren’t common in the United States. They keep an up-do-date list for each country. Just go to the CDC Traveler’s Health website and choose your destination. You’ll see notices about any special health Read more…
A: Currently, there is no recommendation for additional boosters. TL;DR: The U.S. may be moving towards annual boosters, but with “flexibility” for the most vulnerable if the situation changes. Last week the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met to discuss the future of COVID-19 vaccines. The group acknowledged that older (>65 years) and Read more…
A: No. The Office of National Statistics in England just released some comprehensive new data comparing deaths from ALL causes by COVID vaccination status. Across all age groups, death rates are consistently lower among vaccinated vs. unvaccinated people. You can also clearly see the spikes in mortality associated with the Delta & Omicron waves that Read more…
Thanks to Oregon Health Authority for a concise answer to one of our most common current questions! Image text: Question: I had my bivalent COVID-19 vaccine (my 5th vaccine) in early September 2022, along with my flu shot. Since these vaccines wear off over time, will I be able to receive another COVID-19 and flu Read more…
A: It depends! You should not get the vaccine while sick with COVID-19, but other mild illnesses are not necessarily a reason to delay vaccination. Lots of folks are getting sick right now with all kinds of viral illnesses including the flu, colds, RSV and COVID-19. You might find yourself feeling under the weather right Read more…
I got my updated/bivalent booster in September, and I’m worried my protection is waning. A: We don’t know yet, but the FDA may be giving guidance soon. **UPDATE 1/31/23.** The VRBAC meeting happened last week, but the only official vote was to make the primary series (1st two doses) the same formula as the updated Read more…
Yes! New evidence released in 2020 showed a dramatically reduced risk of cervical cancer among people who took a quadrivalent HPV vaccine. Risk was *much* lower for those who took the vaccine before age 17. HPV vaccination is recommended at age 11 for all genders. Yes, for girls and boys too! Don’t pass this one Read more…
Yes. Kids need COVID-19 vaccines. It is safe. It is necessary. When we compare kids who get COVID-19 to kids who do not get COVID-19, we see quite clearly that kids CAN and DO get really sick, and it is worth protecting them. And when we compare vaccinated kids to unvaccinated kids, the results are Read more…
A: We don’t know for sure, but it’s probably due to decreased trust in vaccines as well as public health institutions during the pandemic and pandemic disruptions to routine healthcare. At the end of 2022, an outbreak of measles erupted in Ohio, with over 80 cases. Most who contracted measles were either completely unvaccinated or Read more…
I got my updated/bivalent booster in September, and I’m worried my protection is waning. A: We don’t know yet, but the FDA may be giving guidance soon. We love this enthusiasm for vaccine protection (!), but here is currently no authorization or recommendation for additional COVID-19 boosters if you have already received the bivalent/Omicron updated Read more…
A: Bottom line – start small (with questions) and be empathic. Don’t focus on why they’re “wrong.” While a majority of Americans (about 79%) have received at least one dose of the primary COVID-19 vaccine series, many have not stayed up to date on boosters (or finished their primary series). Some are still waiting for Read more…
COVID activity is picking up in the United States and much of Europe. We’ve heard from our own families that many people *think* they are up to date on boosters but actually haven’t gotten the updated (or “bivalent” booster). If you got your previous boosters prior to September 2022 but none since, you are eligible Read more…
TL;DR: Yes! The new bivalent booster vaccine does give additional protection against symptomatic COVID-19 infections, reduces emergency department and urgent care visits, and reduces the risk of hospitalization. In September 2022, the US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended that all persons aged 12 and up who had already gotten their primary series of Read more…
