Coronavirus weekly need-to-know: Comirnaty vaccine, J&J booster, vaccine card & more
Each week, we offer you a roundup of our noteworthy coronavirus coverage.
More than 38.7 million people in the United States have tested positive for the coronavirus as of Saturday, Aug. 28, according to Johns Hopkins University. That includes more than 636,000 people who have died nationwide.
Globally, there have been more than 215.7 million confirmed cases of the highly infectious virus, with more than 4.4 million reported deaths.
More than 172.1 million Americans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Aug. 26 — about 52% of the total population, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracker shows. About 63% of adults and 61% of people aged 12 and older are fully vaccinated in the U.S.
Here’s what happened between Aug. 20 and Aug. 26.
What does FDA approval of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine mean for you?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for people 16 and older, making it the first of three COVID-19 shots available in the U.S. to be upgraded from an emergency use authorization (EUA) to full approval.
For children ages 12 to 15, the vaccine can still be administered under an EUA, as well as third doses for certain immunocompromised individuals. Both the Johnson & Johnson and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines await FDA approval but remain available for adults under an EUA.
The upgrade means the Pfizer vaccine will still be available to the public even after the “current public health emergency” the original authorization was based on comes to an end.
Here’s what else the approval means.
Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine approval wasn’t rushed — it was prioritized
First, skepticism regarding COVID-19 vaccines was based on the lack of full approval from federal health officials. Those who have been hesitant from the start didn’t want to take an “experimental” vaccine.
Now that the Pfizer shot is officially approved, some people are claiming the review process was rushed, suggesting the vaccines are still not considered safe or effective.
The suspicions, in part, are true. The approval process was rushed, but not in the “let’s skim over thousands of documents and call it a day” kind of way. The vaccine developers requested the review of their data be “fast tracked,” which the FDA accepted.
Continue reading to learn more.
Booster shot of J&J COVID-19 vaccine significantly increases protection
People who received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine would benefit from a second shot, or booster, of the same vaccine about eight months later to strengthen protection against the virus, according to new data.
Laboratory study results showed a J&J booster shot increased the level of antibodies nine-fold in those who had already received the vaccine compared to the level of antibodies a person has one month after receiving the first dose.
Earlier data from the company found a single dose already generates adequate protection against COVID-19 for at least eight months after vaccination, but as more dangerous versions of the coronavirus spread, including the delta variant, the developers have acknowledged the need for extra protection to combat any waning immunity.
Are Pfizer and Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine the same? What to know
The recent approval of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine means more than just enticing some previously hesitant people to roll up their sleeves.
The upgrade from an emergency use authorization also means the developers are now allowed to market their product to the public via television, print and radio advertisements.
And when you have something to promote, you need a brand name. That’s where “Comirnaty” (pronounced koe-mir’-na-tee) comes in. The shot has been called the “Pfizer vaccine” because that’s the name of one of the companies that developed it.
Fauci: ‘Degree of normality’ possible by spring 2022 if majority get COVID-19 shot
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, said the pandemic could be under control by spring 2022 if an “overwhelming majority” get COVID-19 vaccines.
Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that “if we can get through this winter and get ... the overwhelming majority of the 90 million people who have not been vaccinated, vaccinated, I hope we can start to get some good control in the spring of 2022.”
Fauci defined “control” as vaccinating people who’ve already gotten sick with COVID-19 and recovered, as well as vaccinating the unvaccinated to achieve “a degree of overall blanket protection.”
When are you most likely to spread COVID-19?
If you test positive for the coronavirus, try to avoid close contact with others two days before and three days after your symptoms appear, a new study says — that’s when you’re most contagious, although complete isolation is ideal until you test negative.
You can still catch the coronavirus even if you’re around an infected person who doesn’t have symptoms. You’re just more likely to be free of symptoms as well, according to the study published Monday in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
The findings underscore the importance of proper isolation when sick, especially in the early days of infection, as well as vaccination, which can reduce the likelihood of developing severe symptoms that can increase your chances of spreading the virus.
Need your COVID-19 vaccine card handy? How to store on iPhones, Androids
Make sure you can easily access your COVID-19 vaccine card ― you may need it to enter restaurants, bars, gyms, concerts and other places.
New York City, New Orleans and San Francisco have already implemented measures requiring proof of vaccination in certain locations, while Los Angeles is looking into it, according to the Associated Press.
Luckily, there are ways to store your card on your smartphone instead of shuffling through your wallet or bag to find it.
Read on to learn how.
New disabilities, big bills follow COVID-19 patients after short hospital stays
COVID-19 patients are returning home with “substantially worse problems” after short hospital stays of just five days or less, researchers of a new study say.
A preliminary analysis of 253 patients of a cohort of 1,300 hospitalized with the disease between fall 2020 and early 2021 shows nearly 85% couldn’t get back to their pre-COVID lives one month after being discharged.
About half of them reported new limitations in daily activities, while nearly 55% of patients reported a new or worsened heart or lung symptom and 16% required breathing assistance with oxygen.
Here’s what else the study found.
Calls about animal dewormer as COVID-19 treatment soar in Texas
The Texas Poison Center Network has received dozens of calls this month about people exposed to ivermectin, an animal dewormer some are using for COVID-19 treatment.
But the drug, which is flying off the shelves in many parts of the United States, is not a suitable treatment and health organizations are warning against its improper use.
Among them is the Texas Poison Center, which has received 55 calls this month from people exposed to ivermectin. The center took 48 such calls in all of 2020.
This story was originally published August 27, 2021 at 4:43 AM with the headline "Coronavirus weekly need-to-know: Comirnaty vaccine, J&J booster, vaccine card & more."
