CNN – With the latest rise in American life of Covid-19, a new rise in American life could begin an official release of booster doses in a few weeks pending FDA approval. And three doses of the vaccine are likely to be needed for complete protection, Dr. Anthony Fauci said.
He cited two Israel-based studies that showed a decrease in infections among people who received a third vaccine or a refusal.
There were good reasons to believe that a third dose “will be really long-lasting, and if it’s long-lasting, you’re likely to have a routine three-dose regimen,” said Fauci, director of the National Allergy Institute. and Infectious Diseases, he said Thursday in a briefing.
Fausi, it is up to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to decide whether Americans should receive three doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, Fauci said. The agency is studying the question later this month after Moderna and Pfizer applied for FDA authorization for a third dose, either six months or eight months after getting the second dose.
The recommendation for booster doses is likely to lead to availability for a wide portion of the population, and doses could begin to roll out as early as the week of Sept. 20, U.S. Surgeon General Dr Thursday said. . Vivek Murthy.
“At some point along the line, we may have a way of knowing who needs an extra shot and who doesn’t,” Murthy said in a call from the U.S. Covid-19 Community Corps of Health and Human Services.
“At this time we do not have this indicator, which is why we recommend that not only people be vaccinated generally, regardless of whether or not they were infected in the past, but also when getting the vaccine these additional doses for maintain and expand your protection, which we do broadly, ”he said.
The FDA obtained this month additional doses of emergency use authorization for those who are immunocompromised.
Although the doses are not yet available to the public, local health departments across the country have experienced a recent increase in calls from people who want to make appointments, according to the National Association of County Health Departments and City.
But emphasis continues to be placed on rising vaccination rates among the U.S. population to help overcome the pandemic. Approximately 52.7% of the total U.S. population is fully vaccinated. But of the 10 states with the worst rates of Covid-19 cases over the past week, seven of them also had among the top ten vaccination rates, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Schools and universities take security measures
The risk of Covid-19 spreading to schools and campuses remains critical, and recent research shows how maskless behavior among unvaccinated people can lead to outbreaks.
A study published Thursday described an outbreak of Covid-19 among more than 150 students at a University of Chicago after many unvaccinated students traveled during the spring break, despite university policies discouraging it.
To prevent similar outbreaks, some universities have established mandates to attend classes in person.
Virginia Tech dropped 134 students for failing to meet the university’s requirement that students be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and “did not submit vaccination documentation or receive a medical or religious exemption,” according to a statement Monday.
The University of Virginia has also dropped more than 200 students for failing to fulfill their vaccination mandate, according to a statement last month.
Vaccines in adolescents and adults can not only prevent infections in schools, but can also protect children under 12 who are not eligible for the vaccine.
“Communities with high vaccination coverage are experiencing lower pediatric cases and hospitalizations,” said CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.
Along with vaccinations, the use of masks is also beneficial in slowing the spread of Covid-19, evidence shows.
New York State will require weekly tests of Covid-19 for teachers and other school employees, with an option for vaccinations, and will continue its mask mandate for everyone in a school building, it announced Thursday. Governor Kathy Hochul.
In Florida, districts will be able to institute mask warrants after a judge on Thursday signed a written order ruling the Ron DeSantis government’s ban on those warrants in schools. DeSantis said he will appeal.
The new Mu variant is under observation
A new variant of the coronavirus designated as Mu by the World Health Organization is being monitored as a “variant of interest,” but federal health officials say they do not immediately consider it dangerous.
On Tuesday, the WHO designated variant B.1.621 as a “variant of interest” because it carries mutations that could help it partially bypass vaccines and treatments such as monoclonal antibodies. The WHO named it Mu under its system to designate important variants using the Greek alphabet.
“This variant has a constellation of mutations that suggests it would evade certain antibodies,” Fauci said Thursday of Mu. “Not just monoclonal antibodies, but vaccine and convalescent serum-induced antibodies. But there is not much clinical data to indicate that they are primarily laboratory data, in vitro.
“In order not to minimize it, we take it very seriously. But remember, even when you have variants that slightly decrease the effectiveness of vaccines, vaccines are still quite effective against variants of this type. In short, we are “We take it seriously. But now we do not consider it an immediate threat,” he said.
The Delta variant still accounts for more than 99 percent of Covid-19 cases diagnosed and sequenced in the U.S., Walensky said Thursday, while Mu is rare.
“We’re looking at it closely,” he said.
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