New C.D.C. data adds to evidence that boosters' protection against severe Covid plunges after four

[riversedge]

Source: nytimes




Covid booster shots lose much of their potency after about four months, raising the possibility that some Americans — specifically those at high risk of complications or death — may need a fourth dose, data published on Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest.

Preliminary research from Israel and Britain has hinted that protection from booster doses declines within a few months. The data released on Friday offer the first real-world evidence of the mRNA shots’ waning power against moderate to severe illness in the United States.

The analysis did not include a breakdown by age, and the researchers could not distinguish between a booster shot or a third dose given to an immunocompromised person as part of the primary series.

The study focused on people who sought medical care for symptoms of Covid, so if that population was skewed toward older adults or those who have weak immune systems, the booster shots may have seemed less effective than they really are...............................................

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/02/11/world/covid-19-tests-cases-vaccine/new-cdc-data-adds-to-evidence-that-boosters-protection-against-severe-covid-plunges-after-four-months

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Includes map by county






Coronavirus in the U.S.: Latest Map and Case Count
Updated Feb. 11, 2022

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html

[Phoenix61]

1. I want to read the study not someone's explanation.

“Those results, however, were based on only a small number of patients — fewer than 200 — who had been boosted four months earlier at the time of the omicron wave. And it's unclear if those people had gotten boosters early for medical reasons that may have made them more vulnerable to severe illness.“
https://www.13newsnow.com/amp/article/news/nation-world/cdc-study-covid-booster-effectiveness-omicron/507-05698d7c-fcb4-449a-86e0-07d58193df46

[JohnSJ]

4. +++

[COL Mustard]

2. Vaccine effectiveness wanes

That's why the need for a booster. I'll get it as needed. I don't want COVID at all.

[Beachnutt]

3. I got my booster Oct. 22nd so my

four months is approaching, how do I get a 4th shot ?

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

5. I'm right with you there timewise, I wanna know too, CDC needs to get ahead of the curve, get us #4

Only 3 doses of the mRNA vaccines have been authorized or approved

[zanana1]

34. I'm with you.

I'll take as many Booster shots as it takes.

[Strelnikov_]

12. Same way I am going to get my 4th at the end of Feb. (Boost + 4)

Lie.

Tired of waiting for the CDC/FDA/etc. to get their act together.

If jabs were in short supply, fine. But if they are throwing out vaccine, as I understand they are, screw it.

[imavoter]

20. So how do you get a 4th shot

Just go somewhere and say I'm not vaxed?

[Strelnikov_]

21. Thats my plan.

Not boosted, oops, forgot my card. Sorry.

Worth a try anyway.

[wnylib]

24. I don't see how you can do it.

I would, too, if I could, but the pharmacy I went to for my booster, Rite Aid, asked for my card as a requirement to get the shot. They wanted my name, address, SS# to check against records of my prior shots.

How do you get around that?

[Pachamama]

27. Don't go to a pharmacy - go to a pop up clinic

Also - they aren’t supposed to ask for social security # - ID only

[wnylib]

29. Rite Aid also wanted my insurance card

and had a questionnaire to complete with insurance info, name, address, and phone number of primary care physician, plus a series of medical history questions to answer. Felt like I was being screened for a CIA job.

Pop up clinics are not advertised, at least not in my area. They are hit or miss opportunities.

[Pachamama]

37. Not sure where you are - but in many counties the Health Dept has a web site showing sites

And when asked for insurance card - you don’t have it

The vaccines are free

[wnylib]

38. I check my county website regularly

for updates on covid statistics, but have not seen any pop up clinics listed.

I questioned Rite Aid about them asking for my insurance card because the vaccines are free. They said that there is no charge to me, but they have to have the info for them to get reimbursed. They gave me the initial 2 shots and said the same thing that time.

[imavoter]

41. Yes, but they can charge the insurance for it

and let the insurance handle it.
Like with flu shots free now with ACA
regulated health insurance plans.

[YoniCat]

31. 4th shot

You can't until it's approved for your particular group such as age group. Keep an eye on your local .gov website and they will announce if and when any 4th shots are recommended and authorized for your classification group. Immunocompromised, nursing home, healthcare workers always go first, then the over 65 group and so on.

[NurseJackie]

6. All those refused vaccines should mean that there are MORE than enough for boosters...

... for everyone who wants them. Starting now. Every three months. Where do I sign up?

[Ace Rothstein]

7. We really need some better vaccines.

Getting vaccinated every 3-4 months isn't tenable for probably the majority of the population.

[Iwasthere]

8. Or you could crank up your immune system

I can't take the vaccine. So I boost my immunity. There are many very effective ways to do that. D3 (5000 iu), VitC (1000), Zinc, Magnesium, K2, and I also eat Organic Whole foods (nothing processed). I have zero worries. This is just what I do. I know others have different methods. No refined sugar as well, it's candy for cancer.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

30. But this only maybe protects you from severe illness

Right? Not from actually getting the virus since our body's have no natural immunity right?.

[0rganism]

9. got the feeling we're gonna be COVID-boostering _at_least_ once/year for the rest of the decade

maybe for the rest of my life

all so a bunch of idiots can wag their freedumb in public

[CaptainTruth]

43. I'm wondering if it will end up being part of the annual flu shot?

[Yanicosco]

10. I had my booster 9/29 sooooooooo....... n/t

[SergeStorms]

13. Same day as me.

So we're both in a very leaky boat right now.

[oldsoftie]

17. Not really. Its still as effective as the average seasonal flu shot

Going from 90% to 50-60% isn't earth shattering. These headlines are fear mongering IMO. repeated boosters are going to do more harm to our systems than good. Also IMO. But there are some experts warning that too much of a good thing is TOO MUCH.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/23/world/middleeast/israel-vaccine-4th-dose.html

[progree]

11. Washington Post via MSNews (not paywalled)

Booster effectiveness wanes after 4 months, but showed sturdy protection against hospitalization, CDC study shows, Washington Post, 2/11/22

The vaccine was 91 percent effective in preventing a vaccinated person from being hospitalized during the two months after a booster shot, the study found. But after four months, protection fell to 78 percent.

A graph shows above. Also for 2 MRNA doses with no booster, that protection from hospitalization falls from 72% initially to 54% at 5 months (me reading the graph)

More: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/booster-effectiveness-wanes-after-4-months-but-showed-sturdy-protection-against-hospitalization-cdc-study-shows/ar-AATKhNX?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531

Lengthy article with not much information, somehow

[cadoman]

14. so get a booster three times a year, what is the fucking problem?

I put on my shoes every day and fill my vehicle up with gas almost twice a month. I think I can take three boosters a year no problem.

[madville]

16. Participation will taper off among the general public

If 80% get the initial two doses, then 50% of those get the third shot (US at 42% booster rate among the “fully vaccinated”), then 50% of those get the fourth shot, etc, you’ve already entered a scenario where less than 25% of the population has effective protection.

Then it gets even more complicated when the new Omicron specific vaccine becomes available in a few months, how many will get that? Many will say, I already had Omicron, not gonna bother, etc.

The attention span of the general population regarding COVID is waning, there’s no appetite for perpetual boosters or masking and it looks like politicians of all types are following that trend too.

[cadoman]

22. the general public will taper off if they don't learn to trust the science and participate

Masking and vaccination aren't personal choices. They're the primary factors for whether a person lives or dies from COVID.

The politicians can put their fingers to the wind but as soon as they let their guard down and turn their backs on science, people will die.

I thinks sometimes the more foolish among us forget that we are in a PANDEMIC. There is a deadly virus in the air that we can only combat through absolute consistency and teamwork guided by science.

[Pachamama]

28. [phone]

completely agree

And a heart for you

[wnylib]

25. But the most vulnerable people will

get the boosters. They will be advised by their doctors. And they are the ones most in need of the boosters.

[LisaM]

23. Well,.number 1, you have a vehicle.

Sometimes it is a problem. I don't have access to a car during the workday. Some people can't drive, and some don't have a car at all.

The problem is location. I live within walking distance of five places that give vaccines. When it came time for me to get boosted last December, I couldn't get into any of them. No appointments, and they were appointment only. The only places that had a walk in or that were easy were miles away. The process of getting to most by transit (if the place even had it) would have taken four or five hours, over multiple transit systems. I live in Seattle and people in all seriousness would suggest I go somewhere like Tacoma.

They need to make it easy to get walk-ins.

[Demsrule86]

33. That is what I think too...but I honestly believe it won't come to that looking at the numbers...If

you want a truly scary scenario...look at Bird Flu which has a very high fatality rate...so far it has not crossed over into humans and is not contagious via breathing...but that can change at any time. Of course, it might not. There is always bad stuff out there.

[madville]

15. I've been wondering how the immune system will

React to repeated vaccinations. Mostly like say protection from the first two shots starts waning significantly after six months. Then after the third shot it starts waning significantly after four months. Then after a fourth shot it drops to three months, etc.

I don’t know if it does or not of course or if this is a possibility, just been thinking about it, like the immune system alters it’s response after repeated vaccinations, like “I’ve seen this before a few times, not gonna put as much effort into it this time”.

[oldsoftie]

18. I've wondered the same. Posted a story about that above

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/23/world/middleeast/israel-vaccine-4th-dose.html

[Ace Rothstein]

19. I hope the Novavax shot has a little more staying power.

What we have right now isn't good enough.

[wnylib]

26. That's how allergy treatment shots work.

The immune system becomes desensitized to the substance being injected and learns to tolerate its presence after a series of injections

So it seems possible that too many of the same shot within a short period might have a similar effect.

[intrepidity]

35. I've wondered about this as well

Perhaps the distinction is the amount of antigen and the time interval?

I assume that with allergy therapy, the antigen is presented in small doses at frequent intervals, whereas with this vaccine, the spike protein (via mRNA) is presented in large quantity at infrequent (4-6 months) intervals. Is this correct? If so, that could explain how one outcome is tolerance, while the other is boosted vigilance, by the immune system.

[wnylib]

36. Good points. The vaccination dosages

are higher than the allergen doses in allergy treatments, but the frequency of allergy treatments is greater than that of the vaccinations.

[cadoman]

39. the wonderful thing is that we don't have to wonder -- the vaccines are safe and effective

This is why scientific consensus is so great. There is no rational argument possible that the vaccines aren't safe and effective, or else there would be no consensus.

Do you honestly think that the scientists haven't considered that, with respect to repeated vaccinations? That it isn't part of the design, creation, and testing of their products? That it wasn't reflected in the innumerable studies and trials? That scientists aren't capable of spotting those patterns and modifying their products to work better? Stop wondering and enjoy the fact that you made the right choice and are protected by a product that works perfectly in conjunction with proper masking and distancing, and help guide others to that product as well.

No one at the CDC ever promised we'd be "one and done" with these shots. It's just like car maintenance or patching your phone. Sometimes you may go weeks without a problem. Other times you may need to get multiple patches or fix multiple problems within the span of a few days. Trust your medical professionals the same way you'd trust your mechanic or phone manufacturer.

[Demsrule86]

32. Still those dying in Ohio hospitals were the unvaxed according to my friend who is a nurse at

Cleveland Clinic and to -a Republican. Governor Dewine. You might get Covid as my husband did, but it rarely kills you. I had a much worse case last year than hubs as he was vaccinated and mine was before vaccines were available...flu shots wane with time too which is why you get one every year.

[Deminpenn]

40. IIRC, the normal course the immune system takes is

at first a very strong response to an infection, but those initial antibodies wane after a relatively short period of time. The protection comes from, again, iirc, the memory T-cells that recognize the virus and call forth an immune response as needed.

Jmo, but it seems more worthwhile to track the existence and longevity of the memory T-cells rather than trying to maintain an artificially high level of antibodies.

[imavoter]

42. Also somehow depends on if you get sick

And you're vaxed....
which varient you get because doesn't
the vaxine keep the spike proteins from
latching on?

[wryter2000]

44. Just give me the shot

Tell me where and I’ll be there.