Category: Vaccine

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Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., on Thursday weighed in on the discussion surrounding Joe Bidens mental fitness for office by posting a series of photos of the president being vaccinated against COVID-19 and implying the immunizations could be to blame for what she called a rapid physical and cognitive declinedespite no medical evidence the shots cause such symptoms.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., speaks with reporters as she leaves the U.S. Capitol on May 17, ... [+] 2024.

Boebert on Thursday morning tweeted I wonder what could have caused Joe Bidens rapid physical and cognitive decline? alongside four photos of the president being vaccinated for COVID-19 over the course of almost two years.

The photos, taken between January 2021 and October 2022, show the president receiving the first two doses of the vaccine and two booster shots.

Boeberts post was made despite a lack of medical evidence showing the coronavirus vaccines cause any kind of long term mental or physical decline in patients who receive them, and contribute to a dangerous misinformation campaign that experts estimate caused millions of people to go unvaccinatedleading to hundreds of thousands of unnecessary deaths.

Biden, who has been under fire from opponents and allies alike since he appeared confused and unable to keep up in a presidential debate on June 27, has in the past been accused by Boebert and others of having dementiaa general term for loss of memory, language and other cognitive abilitiesdespite the White House earlier this month denying Biden has "any form of dementia."

There is no evidence to suggest that cognitive decline or symptoms are caused by Covid vaccinesno studies exist to indicate an increased risk of neurological disorders or memory loss from the COVID-19 vaccine and and there is no evidence the coronavirus vaccine causes or worsens dementia, according to the Alzheimer's Society.

A recent study published in the The New England Journal of Medicine found that while cognitive and memory impairment have been reported by those who have been infected with COVID-19 or who are suffering from long Covid, those who were vaccinated experienced less cognitive symptoms than those who were not.

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319,000. That's how many Covid deaths could have been avoided after vaccines became available if those affected had been immunized, as of May 2022, according to NPR.

Biden has faced concerns about his fitness for office since the June 27 debate, in which he stumbled, lost his train of thought and appeared confused throughout the event. He and his team later blamed the poor performance on exhaustion and an illness. Despite his repeated assurances he is prepared to be president for another four years, previous allies have come out of the woodwork to encourage him to drop out of the race and allow the Democratic nomination to go to someone else. The New York Times editorial board said Biden should leave the race in a call later echoed by The Chicago Tribune, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Boston Globe. Big-name supporters like Walmart heir Christy Walton, billionaire Michael Novogratz and actor George Clooney have all repeated the request, and a dozen Democratic representatives have suggested they've lost confidence in the presidents ability to beat Trump in November. In an interview with ABC days after the debate, Biden was asked whether he would be open to taking a neurological and cognitive test. Biden responded by saying, No one said I had to, and then said: every day I have that test.

U.S. President Joe Biden receives his updated COVID-19 booster at the White House on Oct. 25, 2022.

This isn't the first time Boebert has supported far-right conspiracy theories. She has, on multiple occasions, repeated the claim that the 2020 election was "stolen" from former President Donald Trump despite no evidence to support the claim. Rolling Stone later reported that she was involved in helping to organize a deadly riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, that sent elected officials fleeing armed insurrectionists, but Boebert later denied her involvement. Boebert expressed support for the conspiracy theory QAnon in July of 2020 and has made several white Christian nationalist statements, including speaking against the separation of church and state. She also accused a judge in Trump's hush-money trial, in which the former president was convicted of dozens of felony counts, of being "corrupt."

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Boebert Floats Wild Anti-Vaccine Conspiracy As Cause Of Biden's 'Decline' - Forbes

The dog days of summer might be infull swing, but for flu vaccine makers, its a busy time prepping for this fall's influenza season.

CSL Seqirus said it kicked off influenza vaccine shipments on July 9, when it began to ship out its three options, according to a press release. The companys portfolio includes unique offerings such as Flucelvax, the first and only cell-based influenza vaccine and Fluad, which is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for people 65 and older.

CSL Seqirus also makes the egg-based vaccine Afluria for people six months of age and older.

"As we begin distributing influenza vaccines to healthcare providers throughout the U.S., it is imperative that we work to maintain high vaccination rates this season to help reduce the burden of influenza-related illnesses and the risk of severe outcomes, the drugmakers chief health officer, Gregg Sylvester, M.D., said in a statement.

Last flu season in the U.S. saw significant decreasesin vaccination rates and a spike in influenza-related hospitalizations and deaths, CSL Seqirus said, citing preliminary CDC estimates.

Sanofi, for its part, said it began itsinitial vaccine shipments on July 10, with more planned through October.Sanofis 2024/2025 flu vaccine portfolio includes its Flubloka quadrivalent shot that's made using insect cellsas well as standard and high-dose versions of its Fluzone.

GSK said it started shipping its doses on July 11 following a licensing and lot-release approval from the FDA, according to a release. The company said it worked quickly to getdoses produced and shipped after vaccine strain recommendations were made in February.

GSK markets Flulaval and Fluarix and expects to distribute more than 36 million doses in the U.S. this flu season.

It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop to combat flu, so vaccination is recommended ahead of the season, according to CSL Seqirus. That would ideally be in September or October for those who need only one dose, the CDC says.

The CDC advises all eligible people who are six months and older receive an annual vaccine, especially those at an increased risk of severe complications, including older adults, pregnant people and children under five years old.

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Flu vaccine makers CSL Seqirus, Sanofi and GSK kick off initial shipments ahead of upcoming season - FiercePharma

Theres no indication that the coronavirus tenure is ending.

FLiRT is the newest variant that now accounts for the large majority of COVID-19 cases, according to Yale Medicine. Its strains include KP.1.1, KP.2 and KP.3.

Overall reported cases are increasing, too, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus has been detected in greater frequency in both emergency departments and wastewater.

Dr. Seth Cohen, the Medical Director of Infection Prevention at the University of Washington Medical Center and a UW clinical associate professor, said a variant is the result of the virus natural evolution.

He said the coronavirus is circulating and infecting millions and millions of people around the world, and it acquires changes to the genes.

If those modifications become clinically significant, meaning capable of causing severe infection or evading immunity, its considered a variant of concern.

Previous variants of concern, including alpha, beta, delta and omicron, have dissipated, though they havent fully disappeared.

While Cohen said associated symptoms are similar to variants of the same omicron lineage, there are specific mutations in the spike protein the part that attached the virus to humans and is responsible for causing infection.

In Washington, Oregon and Idaho combined, 11,751 COVID tests were administered during the past two weeks. Some 11.6% were positive, which represents a 1.7% increase from the previous week, the CDC reported.

The causes for the increasing infections include both social and biological factors, the infectious disease specialist said.

A lack of existing immunity to FLiRT is one reason, with summers social events also providing an avenue for transmission.

The antidote to this spell of the virus remains the same: vaccination.

Questions circulate regarding whether the available shots would be effective against this new variant.

To address this, the CDC released a statement in late June recommending an updated inoculation to protect everyone 6 months or older through the 2024-25 fall and winter.

In the meantime, the current vaccines efficacy is not lost. It is still highly protective against hospitalization and death, Cohen said.

USA Facts reports that 74.8% of Washington is fully vaccinated, while only 42.1% opted to add a booster. In Idaho, 55.7% of residents are fully vaccinated and 26% received a booster.

Shots are extremely vital for those 65 and older or with weakened immune systems; individuals if unvaccinated with those factors should not wait for the release of the new vaccine.

If infected, informing others and staying home is still crucial, especially for some people. That includes older and immunocompromised people, whom Cohen warned need to be more vigilant, considering they often face more severe complications.

Ultimately, although it seems research and medicine have tackled many concerns relating to this explosive virus, Cohen thinks the vaccination will see a new formulation at least every year.

Weve seen a summer wave, he said. I think we should continue to expect that in future years, unless something dramatic happens.

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New variant, updated vaccine: Coronavirus is back, but it never even left - The Spokesman Review

A dog in the Philippines is vaccinated against rabies. Owners who brought their pets in for the shot were given free pet food. Josefiel Rivera/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images hide caption

A few years ago, as a first year doctor in the Philippines, Ricky Dann Marquez had to pin a teenage patients hands to the hospital bed.

It was terrible. It was terrible, he says.

The worry was that the girl would thrash about, bite someone or worse. We had to tie the patient to the bed so that she would not strangle anyone, Marquez says.

The girls mother informed Marquez that, a month ago, a stray dog bit her daughter and, recently, shed started acting strangely. She was uncontrollably aggressive and irrationally afraid of water.

She had rabies. The family did not know to seek out rabies shots for their daughter immediately after the dog bite. If they had, shed likely be just fine. But now that she had symptoms, it was too late. There was nothing Marquez could do. Rabies tops the list of the worlds deadliest diseases with a nearly 100% fatality rate if the person bitten does not get immediate treatment.

Her mother was just watching her at the bedside, telling her that she loves her, Marquez recalls. That was the most heartbreaking part when the mother was telling her goodbyes to her daughter.

Each year, about 60,000 families say goodbye to a relative dying from rabies. And that number could be a gross underestimate, according to the World Health Organization, since many cases go unreported.

The vast majority of the recorded cases a whopping 95% are in Asia or Africa. The heaviest burden is borne by those living in poverty in rural areas, where stray dogs roam and vaccines may not be readily available or may cost more than people can afford to pay.

In Gabon, the four-dose regimen could run $25 per inoculation if the patient doesnt have insurance coverage, according to Dr. Annick Mondjo, deputy coordinator for the countrys rabies elimination program. Plus, she says, the vaccine must be kept cold and many far-flung communities dont have the necessary refrigeration.

As a result, she says, after a dog bite many families rely on hope hope that the dog is not a rabid dog.

Now a new program offers a different kind of hope.

Starting this month more than 50 lower-income countries will be able to apply to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance for financial aid to pay for the human vaccine and related supplies, like refrigeration. This initiative, which was delayed several years by the COVID pandemic, is aligned with the Zero by 30 campaign, a plan spearheaded by WHO and others aimed at ending rabies deaths caused by dogs by 2030.

It will be a game changer, says Terence Scott, the director of programs at the Global Alliance for Rabies Control. Its huge in terms of having access to that post-exposure prophylaxis to the vaccine itself.

However, he calls the human rabies vaccine an interim approach. He hopes that the Gavi announcement will push decision makers and political leaders to take another step: We need to address the disease at its source.

His goal is to stop rabies before it reaches people.

Aiming for dogs

In the past four decades, North and South America have proven that rabies can be controlled. The region has slashed the number of human rabies cases by over 95%. Between January 2023 and early May 2024 the two continents had just nine cases of rabies caused by dogs.

We have all the tools available to eliminate rabies, says Marco Vigilato, who coordinates the Pan American Health Organizations rabies elimination program.

One of the most essential tools, he says, is not the human rabies vaccine but the dog rabies vaccine.

According to WHO, up to 99% of human rabies cases come from dogs it could be a bite, a scratch or even a lick, since the virus is in a rabid dogs saliva and can make its way into a small cut in the skin.

Thats why Vigilato says public health money - usually earmarked for humans - should also go toward animals.

Canine rabies kills people, so this is a public health problem, he says.

He lauds the success of regular, mass dog vaccination campaigns that are free for dog owners and that enlist not only veterinarians, Vigilato says. Doctors, dentists and nurses join the effort, as do police and army personnel.

Others have taken note, including Kenneth Chawinga,who wanted to see if what had worked in the Americas might work in Zambia.

In 2018, when he was the district veterinary officer in Kabwe District in central Zambia, he realized his community was spending so much money on vaccinating people after theyd been exposed to rabies that it would be cheaper to vaccinate the thousands of dogs in the district.

But, he says, before he could launch a mass dog vaccination, he needed to confront another challenge. In his rural area, where dogs are often used for hunting, there was a myth floating around.

[They] think, if you vaccinate their dogs, then they would become weak. They wouldn't be strong hunters, he says.

After convincing a local company to pay for the vaccines, he reached out to the community, he says, through the local radio station and through the traditional leaders, because these have got influence, especially in rural areas.

Pet owners came to public vaccination events. The vaccinators also hit the streets to give shots to free roaming dogs. He estimates that theyve reached more than 70% of dogs in the district.

And Chawinga says it's made a difference.

For a year now, we have not received a case of rabies in humans, says Chawinga, who now works for Zambias Department of Veterinary Services. Vaccinating dogs is not only the cheapest option, it's also the most effective one.

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Rabies could become a disease of the past. Here's what it would take - NPR

NEW YORK (PIX11) Sandra Lindsay is best known as the first American to get the COVID-19 vaccine in 2020. The nurse was on the front lines of the pandemic and became a symbol of hope.

The Jamaican immigrant said that becoming the leader she is today was not an easy journey. Its one of the many stories she talks about in her book First in Line.

Watch the video player for more on this story.

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First American to get COVID vaccine to release book - PIX11 New York News

This is a KFF Health News story.

As bird flu spreads among dairy cattle in the U.S., veterinarians and researchers have taken note of Finland's move to vaccinate farmworkers at risk of infection. They wonder why their government doesn't do the same.

"Farmworkers, veterinarians, and producers are handling large volumes of milk that can contain high levels of bird flu virus," said Kay Russo, a livestock and poultry veterinarian in Fort Collins, Colorado. "If a vaccine seems to provide some immunity, I think it should be offered to them."

Amon a dozen virology and outbreak experts interviewed by KFF Health News, most agree with Russo. They said people who work with dairy cows should be offered vaccination for a disease that has killed roughly half of the people known to have gotten it globally over the past two decades, has killed cats in the U.S. this year, and has pandemic potential.

However, some researchers sided with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in recommending against vaccination for now. There's no evidence that this year's bird flu virus spreads between people or causes serious disease in humans. And it's unclear how well the available vaccine would prevent either scenario.

But the wait-and-see approach "is a gamble," said Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University. "By the time we see severe outcomes, it means a lot of people have been infected."

"Now is the time to offer the vaccines to farmworkers in the United States," said Nahid Bhadelia, director of the Boston University Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases. Even more urgent measures are lagging in the U.S., she added. Testing of farmworkers and cows is sorely needed to detect the H5N1 bird flu virus, study it, and extinguish it before it becomes a fixture on farms -- posing an ever-present pandemic threat.

Demetre Daskalakis, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said the agency takes bird flu seriously, and the U.S. is stockpiling 4.8 million doses of the vaccine. But, he said, "there's no recommendation to launch a vaccine campaign."

"It's all about risk-benefit ratios," Daskalakis said. The benefits are blurry because there hasn't been enough testing to understand how easily the virus jumps from cows into people, and how sick they become. Just four people in the United States have tested positive this year, with mild cases -- too few to draw conclusions.

Other farmworkers and veterinarians working on dairy farms with outbreaks have reported being sick, Russo said, but they haven't been tested. Public health labs have tested only about 50 people for the bird flu since the outbreak was detected in March.

Still, Daskalakis said the CDC is not concerned that the agency is missing worrisome bird flu infections because of its influenza surveillance system. Hospitals report patients with severe cases of flu, and numbers are normal this year.

Another signal that puts the agency at ease is that the virus doesn't yet have mutations that allow it to spread rapidly between people as they sneeze and breathe. "If we start to see changes in the virus, that's another factor that would be part of the decision to move from a planning phase into an operational one," Daskalakis said.

On July 8, researchers reported that the virus may be closer to spreading between people than previously thought. It still doesn't appear to do so, but experiments suggest it has the ability to infect human airways. It also spread between two laboratory ferrets through the air.

In considering vaccines, the agency takes a cue from a 1976 outbreak of the swine flu. Officials initially feared a repeat of the 1918 swine flu pandemic that killed roughly half a million people in the United States. So they rapidly vaccinated nearly 43 million people in the country within a year.

But swine flu cases turned out to be mild that year. This made the vaccine seem unnecessarily risky as several reports of a potentially deadly disorder, Guillain-Barr Syndrome, emerged. Roughly one of every million people who get influenza vaccines may acquire the disorder, according to the CDC. That risk is outweighed by the benefits of prevention. Since Oct. 1, as many as 830,000 people have been hospitalized for the seasonal flu and 25,000 to 75,000 people have died.

An after-action report on the 1976 swine flu situation called it a "sobering, cautionary tale" about responding prematurely to an uncertain public health threat. "It's a story about what happens when you launch a vaccine program where you are accepting risk without any benefit," Daskalakis said.

Paul Offit, a virologist at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, sides with the CDC. "I'd wait for more data," he said.

However, other researchers say this isn't comparable to 1976 because they aren't suggesting that the U.S. vaccinate tens of millions of people. Rather they're talking about a voluntary vaccine for thousands of people in close contact with livestock. This lessens the chance of rare adverse effects.

The bird flu vaccine on hand, made by the flu vaccine company CSL Seqirus, was authorized last year by the European equivalent of the FDA. An older variety has FDA approval, but the newer variety hasn't gotten the green light yet.

Although the vaccine targets a different bird flu strain than the H5N1 virus now circulating in cows, studies show it triggers an immune response against both varieties. It's considered safe because it uses the same egg-based vaccine technology deployed every year in seasonal flu vaccines.

For these reasons, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and about a dozen other countries are stockpiling millions of doses. Finland expects to offer them to people who work on fur farms this month as a precaution because its mink and fox farms were hit by the bird flu last year.

In contrast, mRNA vaccines being developed against the bird flu would be a first for influenza. On July 2, the U.S. government announced that it would pay Moderna $176 million for their development, and that the vaccines may enter clinical trials next year. Used widely against covid-19, this newer technology uses mRNA to teach the immune system how to recognize particular viruses.

In the meantime, Florian Krammer, a flu virologist at Mount Sinai's Icahn School of Medicine, said people who work on dairy farms should have the option to get the egg-based vaccine. It elicits an immune response against a primary component of the H5N1 bird flu virus that should confer a degree of protection against infection and serious sickness, he said.

Still, its protection wouldn't be 100%. And no one knows how many cases and hospitalizations it would prevent since it hasn't been used to combat this year's virus. Such data should be collected in studies that track the outcomes of people who opt to get one, he said.

Krammer isn't assuaged by the lack of severe bird flu cases spotted in clinics. "If you see a signal in hospitals, the cat is out of the bag. Game over, we have a pandemic," he said. "That's what we want to avoid."

He and others stressed that the United States should be doing everything it can to curb infections before flu season starts in October. The vaccine could provide an additional layer of protection on top of testing, wearing gloves, and goggles, and disinfecting milking equipment. Scientists worry that if people get the bird flu and the seasonal flu simultaneously, bird flu viruses could snag adaptations from seasonal viruses that allow them to spread swiftly among humans.

They also note it could take months to distribute the vaccines after they're recommended since it requires outreach. People who work beside dairy cows still lack information on the virus, four months into this outbreak, said Bethany Boggess Alcauter, director of research at the National Center for Farmworker Health.

Health officials have talked with dairy farm owners, but Boggess' interviews with farmworkers suggest those conversations haven't trickled down to their staff. One farmworker in the Texas Panhandle told her he was directed to disinfect his hands and boots to protect cows from diseases that workers may carry. "They never told us if the cow could infect us with some illness," the farmworker said in Spanish.

The slow pace of educational outreach is a reminder that everything takes time, including vaccine decisions. When deciding whether to recommend vaccines, the CDC typically seeks guidance from its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or the ACIP. A consultant to the group, infectious disease researcher William Schaffner, has repeatedly asked the agency to present its thinking on Seqirus' bird flu vaccine.

Rather than fret about the 1976 swine flu situation, Schaffner suggested the CDC consider the 2009-10 swine flu pandemic. It caused more than 274,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 deaths in the U.S. within a year. By the time vaccines were rolled out, he said, much of the damage had been done.

"The time to discuss this with ACIP is now," said Schaffner, before the bird flu becomes a public health emergency. "We don't want to discuss this until the cows come home in the middle of a crisis."

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Finland is offering farmworkers bird flu shots. Some experts say the US should, too - ABC News

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) reported a recently identified case of measles in a Macomb County child the states sixth case to date in 2024.

The child was diagnosed on July 3. The childs exposure to measles is being investigated. There is no known international travel associated with this case.

Preventing measles is simple all residents should get vaccinated to prevent this disease, said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive. Vaccination can prevent illness and provide peace of mind in case you or your family member is exposed. As we get ready for back-to-school season, now is a great time to check with your health care provider to make sure you are current with all your vaccines.

Michigan residents can contact their health care provider or visit their local health department for additional information on ways to obtain the vaccine and schedule an appointment. Children eligible for the Vaccines for Children program may receive the vaccine from a provider enrolled in that program.

MDHHS and MCHD are also alerting the public to the possibility of exposures from this case in parts of Southeast Michigan, from June 24 through July 2. Because the measles virus can stay in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area, individuals who were present at the following places may have been exposed:

MCHD is currently conducting contact tracing to identify other exposure sites within this time frame. Exposed staff members at the Motel 6 and Childrens Hospital locations have been notified and are undergoing health monitoring by the local health departments.

If you believe you were exposed at one of these locations, contact your health care provider or MCHD at 586-783-8190 for vaccination information and health guidance. In addition, anyone potentially exposed should monitor for symptoms such as fever, respiratory illness or rash for 21 days. If symptoms develop call ahead before visiting a doctor, urgent care or emergency room so they can take precautions to avoid exposing others.

Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease that is spread by direct person-to-person contact and through the air. Measles is so contagious that 90% of unvaccinated people who are exposed will become infected. Those infected can spread measles before noticing symptoms, including from four days before through four days after the rash appears.

The virus can live for up to two hours in the air where the infected person was present. Symptoms of measles usually begin 7-14 days after exposure, but can appear up to 21 days after exposure and may include: high fever (may spike to over 104F); cough; runny nose; red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis); tiny white spots on the inner cheeks, gums and roof of the mouth (Koplik Spots) two to three days after symptoms begin; a rash that is red, raised, blotchy that usually starts on face, spreads to trunk, arms and legs three to five days after symptoms begin.

For more information on measles in Michigan, visit Michigan.gov/Measles.

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MDHHS reports sixth measles case this year, strongly recommends vaccination - 9 & 10 News

You're not alone if you suddenly have more friends or colleagues saying they have COVID.

Epidemiologists for Public Health Madison & Dane County say that while COVID-19 levels are low compared with last winter's peak, they have noticed infection rates are trending upward.

Those observations follow national trends. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows thatCOVID-19 test positivity rates are rising nationwidethe percentage of cases reported to the CDC increased from 3.1% in mid-May to 9% at the end of June.

In Wisconsin, emergency department visits for people with diagnosed COVID-19 have increased by 10.2%, what the CDC calls a "moderate increase." The overall rate of COVID among patients in emergency rooms is still minimal, however, at 0.7% of all visitors for the week ending on June 29.

In Dane County, that percentage of ER patients with COVID is slightly higher at 0.93% for the same time period, according to theRespiratory Illness Dashboard from the Public Health Madison & Dane County office.

Thats consistent with data captured by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

"The amount of COVID-19 found in wastewater surveillance remains low, however, there is an identified increase noted statewide," Jennifer Miller of the DHS communications team told the Cap Times via email.

Wastewater numbers can give a better picture of the current state of COVID-19, which can detect the presence of the virus before someone experiences symptoms, or if they're asymptomatic, or never tested to confirm they have COVID.

The DHS describes Madison ashaving low concentrations of the COVID-19 virus in wastewater, but the city has been experiencing an uptick starting in mid-May. The state agency also reports a38% increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations for Wisconsin's south-central region between June 16 and June 29.

Local and state health professionals recommend staying up to date on the COVID vaccine you can still receive a dose of the 2023-2024 dose before an updated version comes out, anticipated for fall. Experts also find themselves shifting away from words like boosters and encouraging people to think about COVID-19 like other respiratory illnesses such as the flu.

COVID-19 is "still circulating and continuing to mutate on a fairly regular basis," said Dr. Jim Conway, medical director of the UW Health immunization program.

Doctors and public health officials continue to track new variants, but all are mutations of the Omicron variant, he said.

Morgan Finke, communications coordinator for Public Health Madison & Dane County, said she understands that people might be confused about the current state of the virus, particularly regarding updated vaccines and the use of the word "boosters."

"When the vaccines first came out, we had the original formulation. Then (the next recommended dose) was called a booster. It was boosting up that original formulation, but then we started to update the vaccine itself," she said.

The term "booster" might have implied that getting the vaccine simply "boosts" immunity rather than being a new formulation of the COVID-19 vaccine that also offers protection against new variants. "It may help some of the confusion to do away with calling them boosters, Finke said.

Along with information about immunity post-infection, Conway said he sees how people might be unsure if they needed an updated shot.

"I think everybody knew that if you got the first wave of vaccines and if you caught COVID-19 along the way, that combination gave you pretty good protection," he said.

Finke said to think about the COVID-19 vaccine like the flu vaccine. The flu vaccine gets updated every year to best protect folks against this season's flu variants," she said.

Currently, the CDC recommends that everyone 5 and older receive at least one dose of the 2023-2024 vaccine. Further recommendations may be suggested based on age, past vaccination status, and for people who are immunocompromised.

In particular, Conway notes that the CDC recommended that people 65 and older were encouraged to get an additional dose of the 2023-2024 vaccine. We noticed that immunity from it was actually fading and we started seeing people that were in those high-risk groups getting sick again, he said.

The 2023-2024 vaccine targets specific sub-variants of the Omicron variant and "could restore protection against severe COVID-19 that may have decreased over time," the CDC website says.

But Conway said getting people to get the updated vaccine has been challenging.

"We said everybody should get that last fall, and then we know it fell on deaf ears, and a lot of people didn't get it," he said.

The CDC estimates that22.5% of adults 18 and older got the 2023-2024 updated COVID-19 vaccine. Wisconsin estimates are higher than the national average at 28.6%.

The CDC recently adopted recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for the 2024-2025 season. Once an updated COVID-19 vaccine is available, which Finke and Conway anticipate will happen in the fall, the CDC will recommend everyone 6 months and older get a dose.

As was the case with the 2023-2024 dose, people 65 and older and people who are immunocompromised may be encouraged to get more than one dose.

The recommendation might signal a change in how public health officials communicate concerns and suggestions about COVID-19, likening it to other respiratory illnesses.

Registered nurse Nancy Wanek fills syringes with doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a mass vaccination clinic at Alliant Energy Center in Madison in April 2021. Public health officials recommend people continue to receive annual COVID vaccinations, as they should for the flu or RSV.

Conway said he's seeing messaging focused on getting people prepared annually for COVID-19, the flu and RSV, all of which are respiratory illnesses.

"Kind of the dream scenario would be someone goes to their primary care physician once a year, and they get all three taken care of at once," he said.

One of the struggles of thinking about COVID like the flu is that the flu has highly predictable spikes, usually in the fall. COVID spikes can happen anytime although in the past, COVID cases have risen in the fall and winter with modest summer spikes.

But that doesnt mean the recommendation to treat COVID like a respiratory illness changes and it doesn't mean you should ignore the 2023-2024 dose if you haven't gotten one yet.

"If someone is looking to get their vaccine this summer, they're more than welcome to do that if they're eligible," Finke said.

If residents are confused about their vaccination status or what version of the vaccine they need, they can check theWisconsin Immunization Registry. The database keeps track of vaccination records for COVID-19 and other illnesses like the flu and RSV and gives scheduling recommendations for updated vaccines.

The CDC'sBridge Access Program, which provides free COVID-19 vaccines for people without insurance or whose coverage doesn't cover the cost of the shot, is set to end in August. Finke recommends people look now to get the 2023-2024 vaccine if they haven't yet.

"I would come sooner than later. We do have doses at our clinics right now, and we're ordering more to get us through September," she said.

"We usually tell people that to minimize side effects, they should try to wait 28 days from when they get one version of the vaccine, but I don't think there's any chance that we're going to see the new vaccines any sooner than the end of August. It's only July, so this is the time," Conway said of people who haven't gotten the 2023-2024 vaccine.

In the meantime, Finke encourages people to consider COVID-19 like any respiratory illness.

"I think the bottom line is if you're dealing with any respiratory symptoms, whether it's coughing, sneezing, you're feeling feverish, that could really be any respiratory virus you could be dealing with the flu, you could be dealing with COVID. It's best to stay home and keep to yourself."

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COVID on the rise in Dane County: What you should know - The Capital Times

If health problems disappeared as quickly as they emerged, it would save patients a lot of stress and heartache, and pull a cash-strapped healthcare system back from the brink.

Alas, we do not live in that world. Until we do, paying a visit to the doctor is the first step in what can be a long and gruelling process.

The snag here is the impossibility of seeing a doctor. Thankfully, GB News has a virtual workaround: submitting your questions to celebrity NHS Doctor Rene Hoenderkamp via health@gbnews.uk each week.

In this week's Q&A, Doctor Hoenderkamp provides advice on treating complications associated with Covid vaccination, what a raspy and strained voice could mean and how to treat Ramsay Hunt syndrome.

Last week, our resident doc shed light on the relationship between vitamin E supplementation and cancer risk, how to put type 2 diabetes into remission and the best exercise for easing back pain.

It's important to remember that the advice given below is general and not individual and you should always seek individualised health care from a doctor.

With those caveats aside, see below Doctor Hoenderkamp's answer's to GB News members' burning questions.

I am so sorry to hear that you are still suffering after four months of Ramsey Hunt Syndrome. This is a sad and debilitating complication of shingles.

If you have ever had chickenpox, even as a child, the virus remains with you for life, sheltering in the nerve roots of the spinal cord. As an adult, it can reactive and for most people a case of shingles causes a rash and pain around a nerve. This is why shingles is almost always on one side of the body the reactivation happens from one nerve root and spreads out from the spine along that nerve.

A complication of shingles is a syndrome called Ramsey Hunt and this is where the reactivation affects the facial nerve and can cause symptoms from the ear to the nose on one half of the face that include:

Duration

For most people, the symptoms will resolve after a few weeks but for others, this can take longer, and an unlucky few will have it for life. The key - by no means a guarantee - to complete recovery is starting treatment within three days of the first symptoms. This is the best way to preserve the nerve. Estimates for full recovery vary from 50-70 percent which isnt great and sounds like where you are.

The normal treatment includes steroids to reduce inflammation, antivirals to get on top of the viral reactivation, painkillers and lubricating eye drops. You may have to tape your eyelid closed to prevent ulcers developing on the eye surface.

In terms of anything that you can do. I would look to making sure your vitamins are topped up, especially those involved in nerve health which include vitamins B12, B6, D, E and magnesium and zinc. There are some dietary changes you can make and I have included a link here.

I am so sorry not to have more definitive help but dont give up hope. Nerves can take months to years to repair and there is always the hope that yours is just taking its time.

I hope that this helps.

I am so sorry to hear that you have had a heart attack and that you feel the Covid vaccine was the cause. There is evidence linking Covid vaccines to inflammation of the heart muscle and this takes the form of myocarditis and pericarditis.

It's very hard to find any evidence regarding heart attacks after the vaccine but there is a paper making the connection in people over 75.

To focus on your question regarding reversing the damage following your heart attack, this really falls firmly in to the realms of heart rehabilitation. When you have a heart attack the heart muscle is starved of oxygen and some cells die, this causes scar tissue. How quickly you received treatment and how extensive the damage was will predict the recovery that your heart can make.

Having said this, whilst the scarred tissue cannot be repaired there are things that can be done to help maximise heart function and future health.

1. Cardiac rehabilitation

This should have been offered already but if not please chase your doctor. A guided and personalised exercise, education and support program.

2. Medication

Lower your risk of future heart attacks with medication that can help do this and remodel heart tissue. These include beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers, hydralazine plus nitrates, aldosterone inhibition with spironolactone.

3. Manage risk factors

It is important to manage risk factors to prevent further damage or another heart attack. This means keeping blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose in normal range. This can be done with lifestyle changes such as eating healthy food, exercising regularly, particularly aerobic exercise, maintaining a healthy weight with a BMI under 25, quitting smoking and using the meds your doctor recommends that can affect heart remodelling.

I am aware that you likely know all of this so looking specifically at your concerns around the vaccine. There are no resources that I can find that are specific to post vaccine heart attacks but I would suggest looking at the UKCV Family support group who have a page on managing your injury here.

I hope that this helps and sorry to be unable to find more but the overriding message is to do as much as you can personally do to improve your heart health and be one of the many who live a long enjoyable life after a heart attack.

Good luck!

What you are describing is known as hoarseness and approximately one in three people will suffer at some point in their lifetime.

It often affects smokers and those who use their voice more than usual, singers, teachers, public speakers etc. It can take many forms and include symptoms such as:

Normally this is caused by simple and self-resolving issues such as laryngitis, common colds and vocal cord strain.

Sometimes there are more serious things that will need some medical attention such as chronic acid reflux, nodules, cysts, polyps on your vocal cords, vocal cord paralysis, neurological diseases, and rarely cancer.

In terms of your hoarseness, the important things are how quickly it came on, how long it has persisted, what other symptoms you have and if you smoke. Having said all of this, whilst I understand that you have had blood tests, this would not be my first approach.

If you have had the issue for more than three weeks I would want to send you immediately for a Chest X-ray/two-week wait (2ww) referral to exclude anything more serious such as cancer. This would involve not only the X-ray but also a camera to have a look down your throat to your stomach. So please ask your GP to do an urgent referral under the 2WW pathway.

In the meantime, it may well be your reflux getting worse or the damage from reflux finally showing itself. So it is important to tackle some potential causes of reflux.

Avoid the following:

Make sure you shift any weight that has crept on as this increases intra-abdominal pressure and pushes the stomach up and stomach acid can enter the oesophagus and can reach as high as the vocal cord where it causes a cough or hoarseness. Aim for a BMI of under 25.

You could also increase your reflux medication while you do all of the above.

I hope that this helps and good luck!

Link:

Doctor Q&A: How do I reverse the damage caused by the Covid vaccine? - GB News

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Read more:

Priming antibody responses to the fusion peptide in rhesus macaques - Nature.com