Volume 5
Happy Wednesday and Pride Month!
The past two weeks have been very busy with a lot of important healthcare news. But don’t worry! I’ve summarized the most important things you need to know.
As always, for deeper dives, click on the hyperlinks in summaries!
1. Finally. Young Children Are Eligible for COVID Vaccines
The CDC and FDA have approved the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for children ages six months to five years old. Children receiving Moderna will need two shots; kids getting the Pfizer immunization will need three. Physicians are worried the differing courses of treatment will cause confusion and that parents who opt for Pfizer will stop after just two doses. The good news: side-effects for children are short-term and mild, mainly fever and fatigue. There has been no evidence of the rare, but more serious side effects seen rarely in adults, including myocarditis.
So What’s The Big Deal? Vaccinating young children is an important step to curbing viral spread. Yet, for nearly two years, a gap remained. While the initial strains of COVID-19 were found less in children, as the virus has mutated, more children have gotten ill and even died. Parents of smaller children have had a difficult time managing school and childcare shutdowns because their children exist in largely unvaccinated populations. This news should help ease their minds.
So Now What? Get your children vaccinated. The FDA and CDC reviewed mountains of data from Moderna and Pfizer and found the immunizations’ benefits far outweigh any risks.
2. Omicron Subvariants Gain Ground in the US
COVID-19 is not gone. And it is mutating once again. According to federal data, the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of Omicron are now responsible for more than one-fifth of U.S. cases, and that number is growing by the day. The good news is the variants do not appear to be any more severe, but they do spread more quickly. With COVID restrictions all but nonexistent and young populations still ineligible for boosters, scientists worry about significant spread and a resurgence in cases once school is back in session.
So What’s The Big Deal?I agree. These new strains appear to evade immunity. Depending on the immune escape, we could see a rise in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in the mid-to-late summer in the Northeast and then move to other parts of the country. Vaccination and boosters continue to remain the best method to prevent severe illness and death.
So Now What?While new “Omicron” specific vaccines are currently in development, waiting is not advisable. Clinicians should encourage eligible patients to get boosted. And hospitals and clinicians should prepare for another wave of infection.
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