The Booster Bulletin: Your Weekly Dose of Immunization News

We’re committed to sharing news and information from local and national media about COVID-19, available vaccines, and immunization-related topics. Each week we’ll continue to review clips from across the U.S., from various news outlets and platforms, and bring you ten timely and relevant links.

“The omicron variant was in Europe a week before South Africa reported it” NPR (November 30, 2021) – “The omicron coronavirus variant was already in the Netherlands a week before South Africa reported the new variant to the World Health Organization, according to a Dutch health agency.”

“COVID Omicron Variant Linked to Vaccine Inequality, Experts Say” NBC (November 30, 2021) – “Rich countries can’t say they weren’t warned. For almost as long as Covid-19 has been around, scientists, academics and campaigners have called on wealthy nations to share vaccines around the world––not only to protect people in those countries, but also to reduce the risk of new mutant variants emerging that could evade vaccines for everyone. Those sounding the alarm have repeated the same mantra: No one is safe until everyone is safe.”

“Influenza A Strain Is Leading to Rising Flu Cases: What That Means” Healthline (November 30, 2021) – “The flu is finally starting to make a comeback after a historically quiet 2020-2021 influenza season. Though flu activity is low in much of the country, the United States is currently seeing more flu activity than it did during all of last season. The bulk of cases can be traced back to Influenza A (H3N2), a strain often associated with more severe flu seasons, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).”

“Tips for navigating the holidays and awkward COVID conversations” The Nevada Independent (November 29, 2021) – “ You can see and feel it all around: The holiday season is officially here, and there is a true sense of excitement to travel again, gather together and get back to our normal lives. As we make and finalize plans, there are a few things to be mindful of during this time, especially as we visit with friends and family. First, remember that we are, unfortunately, still grappling with containing the COVID-19 virus even with vaccines and booster shots readily available to most Americans.”

“All Vaccinated Adults Should Get a COVID-19 Booster Shot Because of the Omicron Variant, CDC Says” CNN (November 29, 2021) – “The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention strengthened recommendations for booster doses of coronavirus vaccine Monday, saying all adults should get boosted six months after the second dose of Pfizer/BioNTech's or Moderna's vaccine or two months after the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. It's a slight but significant tweak to the wording of guidance issued earlier this month when the CDC endorsed an expanded emergency use authorization for boosters from the US Food and Drug Administration.”

“Moderna Says an Omicron Variant Vaccine Could Be Ready in Early 2022” CNBC (November 28, 2021) – “‘We should know about the ability of the current vaccine to provide protection in the next couple of weeks, but the remarkable thing about the MRNA vaccines, Moderna platform is that we can move very fast,’ (Moderna’s Chief Medical Officer Paul Burton) said…‘If we have to make a brand new vaccine I think that’s going to be early 2022 before that’s really going to be available in large quantities,’ the Moderna chief added.”

“Unvaccinated state workers could face monthly surcharges” The Nevada Independent (November 24, 2021)-“ State employees who remain unvaccinated against COVID-19 may soon be required to pay up to $55 in monthly insurance surcharges to help recoup testing costs, meaning Nevada could be the first state to adopt such a policy for its state-employed workforce.”

“I’m a Doctor and Mom of Two. Here’s Why I Vaccinated My Young Kids Against COVID.” Shot of Prevention (November 23, 2021) – “I’m a family physician and a mother of two. My kids––ages five and seven––are both vaccinated against COVID. Here’s why. We know that even though children are at lower risk for becoming very ill with COVID compared to adults, they can still be infected. They can still get very sick, and they can still develop short- and long-term complications from COVID and spread the virus to others, including to their friends and family with underlying medical conditions who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID.”

“How to Choose a COVID Booster: What to Know About Mixing Coronavirus Vaccines” Cnet (November 23, 2021) – “…no one will be tied to the original COVID-19 vaccine they received. All adults can get any of the three vaccines after the FDA and CDC last month signed off on heterologous boosters, or a "mix and match" approach to boosting for COVID-19…Mixing COVID-19 vaccine brands has been done in other countries for months, and the US is finally on the same page. While getting your original vaccination remains the most important thing you can do to protect against severe disease from COVID-19––and the availability of third shots hasn't changed the definition of fully vaccinated––here's what you should know before choosing a booster.” 

“Pfizer COVID Vaccine Is 100% Effective in Adolescents: Study” WebMD (November 23, 2021) – “Pfizer announced on Monday that its COVID-19 vaccine provided long-term protection against the virus in a late-stage clinical trial among adolescents ages 12-15. A two-dose series was 100% effective against COVID-19, which was measured between 7 days and 4 months after the second dose.”

Want this to arrive in your email in the future? Click the icon above next to "SUBSCRIBE TO OUR BLOG" and receive all our blog posts in your inbox. 

*Links included do not imply endorsement.