Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #112

[gremlin444]

Thank you, Britain, for just coming out and saying it:

"How ‘revenge of the Covid contrarians’ unleashed by RFK Jr puts broader vaccine advances at risk."

How ‘revenge of the Covid contrarians’ unleashed by RFK Jr puts broader vaccine advances at risk

The health secretary has pledged to fight chronic illness, but experts say he risks increasing it with department cuts

www.theguardian.com

 

[slowpoke]

I forgot to post to say I got my Covid shot two weeks ago! Once again, the Kaiser Permanente clinic made it so easy for me and my husband to get.

First, we were notified by email that it was time to make an appointment for it.
We didn’t get around to it immediately, however in the meantime my husband had a routine visit scheduled not long after the notice .

While at his appointment, we asked if would be possible to each get our Covid shots while we were there. The receptionist said yes, if we could wait around for maybe half an hour.

They called us in even sooner than that! Pfizer shot administered. Done!
So….

Yay! And only a little bit of a sore arm, and nothing else! So happy.

 

[gremlin444]

U.S. health officials inject new uncertainty into approval process for Covid boosters

Confusion over the FDA delay in granting full approval to Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine deepened over the weekend, with possible implications for Pfizer and Moderna.

www.statnews.com

Delays on Novavax’s COVID booster—despite past approvals of similar vaccines—limit choices for those who can't tolerate mRNA (e.g., some with long COVID). If FDA demands new trials from Pfizer/Moderna, fall boosters could be off the table.

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

Study on Novavax side effects. I can attest from my experience, the side effects were very mild.

Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine Linked to Fewer Side Effects in Health Care Workers and First Responders

At ESCMID 2025, SHIELD study data show Novavax recipients experienced fewer side effects and missed less work compared to those who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

www.contagionlive.com

In a real-world study of frontline health care workers (HCWs) and first responders (FRs) in the United States, recipients of the updated 2024–2025 Novavax (NVX) COVID-19 vaccine reported fewer and less severe side effects than those who received the updated Pfizer-BioNTech (PFZ) mRNA vaccine. These findings suggest the Novavax vaccine may cause less disruption to work and daily life activities.

 

[ilovewings]

Don't forget that Kennedy sued the FDA when the pandemic occurred, to stop vaccines. Thankfully he was not successful, but I fear that when the next pandemic appears ( which is almost certain at some point), that Kennedy will put the kabosh on vaccines. He is very dangerous to America Citizens health.

 

[Gemmie]

Don't forget that Kennedy sued the FDA when the pandemic occurred, to stop vaccines. Thankfully he was not successful, but I fear that when the next pandemic appears ( which is almost certain at some point), that Kennedy will put the kabosh on vaccines. He is very dangerous to America Citizens health.

I'm hoping the next pandemic isn't in Kennedy's lifetime (or mine).

 

[ilovewings]

I'm hoping the next pandemic isn't in Kennedy's lifetime (or mine).

Oh I hope so too-------- but I was thinking of bird flu which I pray does not evolve into a pandemic

 

[tarabull]

FDA chief says they're looking at whether to approve COVID shots for next winter

FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said there is a "void of data" on the COVID booster shots.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[ilovewings]

FDA chief says they're looking at whether to approve COVID shots for next winter

FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said there is a "void of data" on the COVID booster shots.

www.cbsnews.com

The beginning of the slippery slope -regarding vaccines and Kennedy

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

The beginning of the slippery slope -regarding vaccines and Kennedy

Not approving a new Covid vaccine doesn't surprise me at all. RFK, Jr. said many times that the Covid vaccine was the worst ever created. I'm sure his goal is to stop Covid vaccine production completely. I also think that his committee to determine whether or not autism is caused by vaccines has been set up to prove his theory that autism is, in fact, caused by childhood vaccines. Measles and whooping cough are already coming back due to low vaccination rates. What's next? The return of crippling polio?

 

[303gmf]

Not approving a new Covid vaccine doesn't surprise me at all. RFK, Jr. said many times that the Covid vaccine was the worst ever created. I'm sure his goal is to stop Covid vaccine production completely. I also think that his committee to determine whether or not autism is caused by vaccines has been set up to prove his theory that autism is, in fact, caused by childhood vaccines. Measles and whooping cough are already coming back due to low vaccination rates. What's next? The return of crippling polio?

Camps, his wellness “camps”

 

[Gemmie]

Every 6 months isn't even enough, IMO, with the breakneck speed in which the virus is mutating and spawning off new variants, and also the fact how fast the efficacy wains. But every 6 months was better than pushing things out longer than that. ​

HHS touts universal flu, coronavirus vaccine initiative while casting doubt on future of seasonal Covid-19 shots​

HHS threw into question the future of seasonally updated Covid-19 vaccines. The agency said in a statement that “all new vaccines will undergo safety testing in placebo-controlled trials prior to licensure – a radical departure from past practices.”

The FDA typically selects strains for updated Covid-19 vaccines in June so manufacturers can ready them for the fall respiratory virus season. The agency has adopted a system similar to the one used for flu vaccines, holding previously that updating only the strain targeted by the vaccine – and nothing else – didn’t represent a change big enough to require new human trials.

If HHS now requires placebo-controlled trials before clearing updated Covid-19 vaccines, experts said, that could delay availability of the shots by months, putting vulnerable people at risk.

“The advantage of updating the vaccine every year to make it more close to the circulating strain is, you get better antibody responses, so for four to six months, you will clearly have better protection against mild to moderate disease, and that matters especially for people who are more frail,” particularly people 75 and older, Offit said.

More at link: https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/01/health/hhs-universal-flu-coronavirus-vaccine-initiative?

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

RFK Jr. Orders Search for New Measles Treatments Instead of Urging Vaccination

Decades of research have turned up no miracle treatment for measles, but studies show the M.M.R. shot is 97 percent effective in preventing the disease.

www.nytimes.com

With the United States facing its largest single measles outbreak in 25 years, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will direct federal health agencies to explore potential new treatments for the disease, including vitamins, according to an H.H.S. spokesman. The decision is the latest in a series of actions by the nation’s top health official that experts fear will undermine public confidence in vaccines as an essential public health tool.

 

[gremlin444]

I was at the doctor's office for other things, so I had my measles titers checked just to be sure (even though with a 1972 birthday I was considered safe)--with all my fun long Covid health issues the last thing I need is measles and the county I'm in in Illinois just had its first 2 reported cases. It shows I do still have immunity--hurrah!

Making my husband with a 1965 birthday just straight out go and get the booster, per the recommendations.

 

[Teche]

I was at the doctor's office for other things, so I had my measles titers checked just to be sure (even though with a 1972 birthday I was considered safe)--with all my fun long Covid health issues the last thing I need is measles and the county I'm in in Illinois just had its first 2 reported cases. It shows I do still have immunity--hurrah!

Making my husband with a 1965 birthday just straight out go and get the booster, per the recommendations.

Do you get the titer results immediately or do they have to be sent to a lab? I was born pre MMR and according to my older brother (ha) I had measles. Can you have a vaccine w/o the titer test?

 

[gremlin444]

I've heard that some insurance companies have different policies as to whether or not you are required to get the titer done first before they will pay for the booster...some insurance companies have told people it depends on their age.

My doctor's office has its own mini blood lab to do the draws, and they then get sent to a big area lab for processing. I had it done late afternoon Wednesday and had my results show up in the patient portal Friday morning. From looking online, it doesn't appear that titer tests can be done and get results the same day anywhere.

 

[Teche]

I've heard that some insurance companies have different policies as to whether or not you are required to get the titer done first before they will pay for the booster...some insurance companies have told people it depends on their age.

My doctor's office has its own mini blood lab to do the draws, and they then get sent to a big area lab for processing. I had it done late afternoon Wednesday and had my results show up in the patient portal Friday morning. From looking online, it doesn't appear that titer tests can be done and get results the same day anywhere.

Thank you. I’m going to follow up with my insurance and the local parish health unit. Our state just diagnosed the 1st case and that person had just returned from an overseas trip.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Read it and weep.

Trump administration eliminated more than a dozen health-tracking programs in 100 days

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s motto is “Make America Healthy Again,” but government cuts could make it harder to know if that's happening.

www.detroitnews.com

 

[Lilibet]

This is super scary!!

https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/06/health/fungal-superbug-threat-wellness

A new superbug threat is spreading around the world. The culprit: microscopic fungal spores that live in and on human bodies and in the dirt and air.
<snip>
While deaths associated with bacterial superbugs are higher than those linked with fungi, (4.7 million vs. 3.8 million), there are hundreds of antibiotics available to treat bacteria. In contrast, only about 17 antifungal drugs are in use, according to the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. One reason why is the difficulty of making drugs that kill the fungus without hurting humans.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Trump administration has shut down CDC's infection control committee

Four members said they were informed of the termination Friday, but it had already taken effect in late March, according to a CDC letter.

www.nbcnews.com

The Trump administration has terminated a federal advisory committee that issued guidance about preventing the spread of infections in health care facilities.

The Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) crafted national standards for hand-washing, mask-wearing and isolating sick patients that most U.S. hospitals follow.

Four committee members said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention delivered the news about HICPAC’s termination to members Friday...

FDA names oncologist Dr. Vinay Prasad, a Covid vaccine critic, as the new vaccine chief

Prasad was an outspoken critic of the FDA’s response to the pandemic, including the former vaccine chief, Dr. Peter Marks.

www.nbcnews.com

The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday named Dr. Vinay Prasad — a hematologist-oncologist who has been accused of spreading misinformation about Covid vaccines and was an outspoken critic of the agency’s decision to approve Covid shots in children — as its new vaccine chief.

The FDA commissioner, Dr. Marty Makary, announced Prasad would lead the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research to agency employees earlier Tuesday and later on X...