Protect Yourself From New COVID Variants This Winter – AARP

Whats more, the mutations in these new strains could make them more immune-evasive, Adalja says. However, even if thats the case, it doesnt necessarily mean they will render protections from the vaccines or a prior infection completely powerless.

The shots weve had access to so far have helped reduce the risk of hospitalization and death in many, regardless of the variants circulating, points out Aditya Shah, an infectious disease specialist at the Mayo Clinic. We hope that that remains, because we dont want to overwhelm the health care systems this winter.

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More than 3,300 Americans are still being hospitalized every day for COVID-19, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows. And with apotentially rough flu seasonon the horizon, health care workers are bracing for numbers to swell. (During the 20192020 flu season, 390,000 Americans were hospitalized with the illness, according to the CDC.) Cases of RSV (or respiratory syncytial virus, which is most dangerous in infants and older adults) also typically spike in the cold-weather months.

We are entering into the winter months, where no matter what the respiratory disease is, theres always a risk of an uptick in respiratory diseases, Anthony Fauci, M.D., chief medical adviser to the president, said during a recent USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism webinar.

One thing that could help subdue a storm of hospitalizations this winter: theupdated COVID-19 bivalent booster shots, which are now available to vaccinated people age 12 and older. Arecent reportfrom the Commonwealth Fund finds that if 80 percent of eligible Americans roll up their sleeves for the shot which targets omicrons BA.4 and BA.5 and also the original strain of the virus for a broad swath of protection 936,706 hospitalizations due to COVID-19 could be averted and nearly 90,000 lives could be saved.

If the booster uptake is even equivalent to recent flu vaccine uptake (about half of adults got their flu shot in 20202021, the latest data available shows), more than 75,000 deaths and 745,409 hospitalizations due to COVID-19 could be prevented. Still, few adults (about 4 percent) have received the new booster. About 20 percent of Americans say they arent even aware of them,a recent pollfrom the Kaiser Family Foundation finds. Older adults are the exception, with about half (45 percent) of people age 65 and older reporting they have received the updated booster or intend to get it as soon as possible.

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Protect Yourself From New COVID Variants This Winter - AARP