Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #110

[ilovewings]

When I say I've never had any ill effects, I meant side effects that persist for weeks or months like tinnitus. I feel awful for people who have to put up with that, or more serious reactions. I'd personally still take the vaccine though unless a doctor recommended against it.

But I've had fever and chills and fatigue with probably three out of the four shots. Like you I don't mind. It's worth it for me. The sore arm is unreal with this one! I can barely move it. And I needed a nap halfway through the day yesterday. But like HKP, I scheduled around it so if I felt unwell, I wouldn't have a lot of things to do.

Have to say the vaccination centre was empty yesterday though. Tumbleweed. Staff standing around bored with nothing to do. They were excited to see me! There is little interest in this bivalent booster here compared to the early vaccines when we had 95%+ uptake. It's a pity.

There is very little interest in the bivalent vaccine in the US- I don't get it- even old people aren't getting it. Lots of elderly people didn't even get the first two boosters!!!!

 

[WichitaFalls]

A little levity on the latest variant.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

There is very little interest in the bivalent vaccine in the US- I don't get it- even old people aren't getting it. Lots of elderly people didn't even get the first two boosters!!!!

I think that many people have become skeptical about the frequency of Covid boosters. As someone suggested earlier in this discussion, there is Covid vaccine fatigue. I totally understand why many folks are concerned about the efficacy and reliability of shots being required every few months to stay ahead of the next variant of the virus. There is no crime in questioning what one feels is in the best interest of his/her personal health and well-being.

I have never smoked. I have never taken any drug that was not prescribed by a physician. I rarely take OTC medications. I enjoy wine occasionally but rarely consume other alcohol. I no longer drink any type of caffeinated beverages. I don't eat a lot of red meat and limit egg consumption to 3-4 per week. I rarely eat fried foods and don't often indulge in sweets. I always wear sunscreen when I'm going to be in the sun for a prolonged period of time because I'm fair skinned with blue eyes and burn easily. In short, I do whatever I can to stay healthy, which includes an annual flu shot and the original Covid vaccines and boosters plus the bivalent booster. I am skeptical and have many questions about whether or not it is in my best interest to continue to get the shots every six months. JMO

 

[otto]

Another question that hopefully others have researched. I'm looking at bivalent vaccines. The Moderna that is available here is for BA1. Phizer is for BA4 and BA5. What's I've been able to find regarding information is that the Moderna that is for BA1 is also good for BA4 and BA5.

Which bivalent are people getting? Is there a Moderna BA4 and BA5 vaccine out there that is not yet available here, or is everyone getting the Phizer which is specifically for BA4, BA5 and the original strain of covid?

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

All of my vaccines and boosters, including the bivalent, have been Pfizer. Same for DH.

 

[anneg]

Another question that hopefully others have researched. I'm looking at bivalent vaccines. The Moderna that is available here is for BA1. Phizer is for BA4 and BA5. What's I've been able to find regarding information is that the Moderna that is for BA1 is also good for BA4 and BA5.

Which bivalent are people getting? Is there a Moderna BA4 and BA5 vaccine out there that is not yet available here, or is everyone getting the Phizer which is specifically for BA4, BA5 and the original strain of covid?

Sounds like Canada has the Moderna bivalent booster:

Health Canada authorizes second bivalent COVID-19 booster targeting the Omicron BA.4/5 variants - Canada.ca

On November 3, 2022, Health Canada authorized an adapted version of the Moderna Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine. This vaccine (known as a “bivalent” vaccine) targets the original SARS-CoV-2 virus from 2019 and the Omicron (BA.4/BA.5) subvariants, and is authorized for use as a booster dose in adults...

www.canada.ca

COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters

Updated vaccine boosters authorized for use as a single dose

www.fda.gov

The virus that causes COVID-19 changes over time. Keep your protection against COVID-19 up to date by getting a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster dose.

The bivalent COVID-19 vaccines include a component of the original virus strain to provide broad protection against COVID-19 and a component of the omicron variant to provide better protection against COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant. These are called bivalent COVID-19 vaccines because they contain these two components. A bivalent COVID-19 vaccine may also be referred to as “updated” COVID-19 vaccine booster dose.

COVID-19 vaccines can help protect against severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. As the virus changes and your immunity naturally decreases over time, you may lose some of that protection....

What bivalent COVID-19 vaccines has FDA authorized for use as a booster dose?​

Video: Why should I get the updated COVID-19 vaccine now?[1:35]

The FDA authorized bivalent formulations of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines for use as a single booster dose.

The Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent is authorized for use as single booster dose in children 6 months through 5 years of age at least two months after completion of a primary series with the monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine. It is also authorized for use as a single booster dose in individuals 6 years of age and older at least two months after completion of either primary vaccination with any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine, or receipt of the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent is authorized for use as a single booster dose in individuals 5 years of age and older at least two months after completion of either primary vaccination with any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine or receipt of the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.

(DH and I got Pfizer vaccines and boosters, including the bivalent booster, except for the second booster, which was Moderna. I thought it might be good to change it up. The Pfizer bivalent booster was available here before the Moderna one, so we got Pfizer.)

 

[Auntie Cipation]

Another question that hopefully others have researched. I'm looking at bivalent vaccines. The Moderna that is available here is for BA1. Phizer is for BA4 and BA5. What's I've been able to find regarding information is that the Moderna that is for BA1 is also good for BA4 and BA5.

Which bivalent are people getting? Is there a Moderna BA4 and BA5 vaccine out there that is not yet available here, or is everyone getting the Phizer which is specifically for BA4, BA5 and the original strain of covid?

My first four covid vaccines were all Moderna. When I went to get the bivalent booster, I was told they had Moderna and Pfizer.

On the chance that mix-and-match was a good idea, and also because I'd had relatively unpleasant side effects from each Moderna booster, I opted for Pfizer for the bivalent. (And had no side effects beyond the sore arm.)

 

[otto]

Sounds like Canada has the Moderna bivalent booster:

Health Canada authorizes second bivalent COVID-19 booster targeting the Omicron BA.4/5 variants - Canada.ca

On November 3, 2022, Health Canada authorized an adapted version of the Moderna Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine. This vaccine (known as a “bivalent” vaccine) targets the original SARS-CoV-2 virus from 2019 and the Omicron (BA.4/BA.5) subvariants, and is authorized for use as a booster dose in adults...

www.canada.ca

COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters

Updated vaccine boosters authorized for use as a single dose

www.fda.gov

The virus that causes COVID-19 changes over time. Keep your protection against COVID-19 up to date by getting a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster dose.

The bivalent COVID-19 vaccines include a component of the original virus strain to provide broad protection against COVID-19 and a component of the omicron variant to provide better protection against COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant. These are called bivalent COVID-19 vaccines because they contain these two components. A bivalent COVID-19 vaccine may also be referred to as “updated” COVID-19 vaccine booster dose.

COVID-19 vaccines can help protect against severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. As the virus changes and your immunity naturally decreases over time, you may lose some of that protection....

What bivalent COVID-19 vaccines has FDA authorized for use as a booster dose?​

Video: Why should I get the updated COVID-19 vaccine now?[1:35]

The FDA authorized bivalent formulations of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines for use as a single booster dose.

The Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent is authorized for use as single booster dose in children 6 months through 5 years of age at least two months after completion of a primary series with the monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine. It is also authorized for use as a single booster dose in individuals 6 years of age and older at least two months after completion of either primary vaccination with any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine, or receipt of the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent is authorized for use as a single booster dose in individuals 5 years of age and older at least two months after completion of either primary vaccination with any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine or receipt of the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.

(DH and I got Pfizer vaccines and boosters, including the bivalent booster, except for the second booster, which was Moderna. I thought it might be good to change it up. The Pfizer bivalent booster was available here before the Moderna one, so we got Pfizer.)

Thank you! That's what I thought, but when I tried to book an appointment today, only the Moderna bivalent BA1 is available. The bivalent BA.1 is supposed to be somewhat effective for BA.4/5. The Pfizer bivalent BA.4/5 is available. I just checked with health services and the Spikevax Moderna that is designed for BA.4/5 is not available in the province and there is no information about when it will be available.

 

[Sundog]

Another question that hopefully others have researched. I'm looking at bivalent vaccines. The Moderna that is available here is for BA1. Phizer is for BA4 and BA5. What's I've been able to find regarding information is that the Moderna that is for BA1 is also good for BA4 and BA5.

Which bivalent are people getting? Is there a Moderna BA4 and BA5 vaccine out there that is not yet available here, or is everyone getting the Phizer which is specifically for BA4, BA5 and the original strain of covid?

All my covid-19 vaccines, including the bivalent booster, have been Moderna.
All of my husband's vaccines, includging bivalent booster, have been Pfizer.

We've stuck with the manufacturer of our original vaccines each time we have been vaccinated and boosted.

 

[Teche]

Another question that hopefully others have researched. I'm looking at bivalent vaccines. The Moderna that is available here is for BA1. Phizer is for BA4 and BA5. What's I've been able to find regarding information is that the Moderna that is for BA1 is also good for BA4 and BA5.

Which bivalent are people getting? Is there a Moderna BA4 and BA5 vaccine out there that is not yet available here, or is everyone getting the Phizer which is specifically for BA4, BA5 and the original strain of covid?

All of my Covid vaccines have been Moderna. A good friend is a pharmacist and a state senator serving on the health and welfare committee, he’s only had the Moderna vaccine. That's the vaccine that his pharmacy offers.

 

[Niner]

Thank you! That's what I thought, but when I tried to book an appointment today, only the Moderna bivalent BA1 is available. The bivalent BA.1 is supposed to be somewhat effective for BA.4/5. The Pfizer bivalent BA.4/5 is available. I just checked with health services and the Spikevax Moderna that is designed for BA.4/5 is not available in the province and there is no information about when it will be available.

All my shots have been Moderna - and the next one - the bivalent one is the Spikevax Moderna here in Latvia - so I will get it this week on Tuesday. My 5th shot...

 

[Mo Thuairim]

Meet the 'Kraken' COVID variant—the dominant new Omicron' escape strain' experts say is the most transmissible yet

XBB.1.5 has rapidly replaced other variants in some European countries and in the Northeast U.S., according to the WHO—a growth advantage concerning experts.

fortune.com

Experts are eyeing the new Omicron strain XBB.1.5—dubbed “Kraken” on the Twitterverse—for its potential to cause the next major COVID wave, thanks to its immune-escape ability and ultrahigh transmissibility.

The World Health Organization’s technical advisory group on virus evolution is working on a risk assessment on the variant—the most transmissible yet, Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead for COVID-19 response at the World Health Organization, said at a Wednesday news conference. Her organization has also asked the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to report on the risks of the new variant, since XBB.1.5 has “rapidly replaced other variants” in some European countries and in the northeast U.S.

(...)

When and where was XBB.1.5 discovered?​

While it’s only recently taken off globally, XBB.1.5 has been around for a while. It was first detected—in the U.S.—on Oct. 22, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

How did it evolve?​

XBB.1.5 is a “recombinant”—or combination—of two spinoffs of Omicron BA.2, which was known as “stealth Omicron” because it was difficult for labs to differentiate it from Delta.

What countries has it been located in?​

So far, the U.S. is seeing the most notable growth of the new variant. This week, the CDC projected that it comprised around 75% of infections in regions 1 and 2, which include Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Nationally, it was projected to be behind 41% of cases.

Some European countries are also seeing a steep rise in levels of Kraken, according to the WHO. The variant has so far been reported in 25 countries, which include Denmark, France, Austria, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Iceland, Belgium, Czechia, Portugal, and Ireland, according to the ECDC.

Why is it so concerning?​

In a Wednesday tweet, Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House’s COVID czar, called XBB.1.5’s rapid U.S. rise “stunning.”

(...)

“We’ve not seen such rapid growth of a variant since Omicron BA.1 a year ago,” Dr. Eric Topol, a professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research and founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, tweeted last week.

(More at link)

 

[otto]

This illustration shows the variant mutations. The Moderna bivalent that is available in my province is outdated by a year (screenshot shows vaccine options in my Canadian province), and we can see that BA.1 it is not related to the XBB variant that is now circulating.

There has been no provincial information clarifying that Moderna BA.1 is unrelated to the current XBB strain, nor has there been clarity why the Moderna Spikevax BA.4/5 is not available in the province. Instead, announcements are to get another booster shot, even though it is not a vaccine in the traditional understanding of vaccine (e.g.: smallpox vaccine that prevents illness).

"Individuals who received a BA.5-based bivalent booster had better neutralizing activity against all Omicron subvariants — especially against BA.2.75.2, BQ.1.1, and XBB — than those who received either one or two of the older vaccines, a team of U.S. researchers recently wrote in a letter published in the New England Journal of Medicine."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/omicron-xbb-1-5-1.6703384

 

[weepingangel]

Why there are so many COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations in the Northeast

CDC data shows that COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are particularly surging in the Northeast. Experts explain why.

abcnews.go.com

 

[otto]

Why there are so many COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations in the Northeast

CDC data shows that COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are particularly surging in the Northeast. Experts explain why.

abcnews.go.com

The article says that one of the issues is that people are not getting the bivalent booster. Perhaps they are getting the Modern bivalent BA.1 booster, or other old vaccine, unaware that some bivalent shots are out of date and ineffective with current variants.

 

[Sundog]

The article says that one of the issues is that people are not getting the bivalent booster. Perhaps they are getting the Modern bivalent BA.1 booster, or other old vaccine, unaware that some bivalent shots are out of date and ineffective with current variants.

My understanding is that both the Pfizer and Moderna bivalent vaccines target the original covid-19 as well as BA.4 and BA.5 variants. I have never heard of Pfizer or Moderna coming out with two versions of a bivalent vaccine.

 

[otto]

My understanding is that both the Pfizer and Moderna bivalent vaccines target the original covid-19 as well as BA.4 and BA.5 variants. I have never heard of Pfizer or Moderna coming out with two versions of a bivalent vaccine.

That's true, but, in my province, the only Moderna bivalent that is available today is the outdated Moderna BA.1. I've always chosen the Moderna vaccine and prefer to stay with the same brand. However, the only bivalent for BA.4/5 available in the province today is the Pfizer shot. The public is currently being offered the Moderna BA.1 bivalent, which is ineffective for XBB.

 

[Sundog]

That's true, but, in my province, the only Moderna bivalent that is available today is the outdated Moderna BA.1. I've always chosen the Moderna vaccine and prefer to stay with the same brand. However, the only bivalent for BA.4/5 available in the province today is the Pfizer shot. The public is currently being offered the Moderna BA.1 bivalent, which is ineffective for XBB.

https://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/publichealth/coronavirus/docs/vaccine/COVID-19_vaccine_administration.pdf

I see what you mean. This document indicates that two Moderna bivalent boosters are approved in Canada, but that the Moderna bivalent that covers BA.4 and BA.5 are not available in Ontario.

I guess the choice is to stay with Moderna or go with Pfizer if it is a a better match for the circulating omicron variants.

Since they are both similar mRNA vaccines, changing to Pfizer is always an option. That's probably what I would do, if I was living in Ontario.
Or take at trip to Quebec and get the newer Moderna bivalent booster there?

(To see list of available vaccines in Canada as of December 2002, go to Appendix A in the document that I linked above -- Appendix A: Health Canada Authorized COVID-19 Vaccines )

 

[otto]

https://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/publichealth/coronavirus/docs/vaccine/COVID-19_vaccine_administration.pdf

I see what you mean. This document indicates that two Moderna bivalent boosters are approved in Canada, but that the Moderna bivalent that covers BA.4 and BA.5 are not available in Ontario.

I guess the choice is to stay with Moderna or go with Pfizer if it is a a better match for the circulating omicron variants.

Since they are both similar mRNA vaccines, changing to Pfizer is always an option. That's probably what I would do, if I was living in Ontario.
Or take at trip to Quebec and get the newer Moderna bivalent booster there?

I assumed that it was a provincial government failure, but that makes it clear that it is a federal government failure. I'm curious how many other countries are in the same situation, where outdated, ineffective Moderna BA.1 bivalent boosters are offered today. Most people wouldn't research it, and would trust that the government wouldn't be offering an outdated booster when a new variant of concern is about to flood the country and overwhelm health services.

 

[Sundog]

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Authorizes Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech Bivalent COVID-19 Vaccines for Use as a Booster Dose

The FDA authorized bivalent formulations of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for use as a single booster dose.

www.fda.gov

According to this information from the FDA, the investigational clinical trials for the bivalent booster vaccine for both Pfizer and Moderna were based on the original Covid-19 virus and BA.1. Following these trials, the FDA approved bivalent boosters from both Pfizer and Moderna that targeted the original virus plus BA.4 and BA.5, with the FDA saying they gave their approval since the manufacturing of the drugs was virtually the same as with BA.1 as part of the bivalent tested.

So it sounds like the FDA never approved the investigational version of the bivalent booster that included BA.1, but ony approved the later version of BA.4 and BA.5.

That is my interpretation, anyway. I wonder why it was different in Canada and why Ontario is getting the newer version.