Coronavirus booster shots for the immunocompromised expected to be authorized soon
Source: Washington Post
Federal health officials are racing to ensure that millions of Americans with weakened immune systems can get additional shots of coronavirus vaccines to protect them against the highly contagious delta variant. The actions could mean the extra shots would be authorized in days or weeks, according to federal officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plan has not been announced.
The stepped-up activity reflects increased urgency by the Biden administration to shield some of the nations most vulnerable adults as coronavirus cases rise sharply. That has increased as some other countries take steps to provide shots to people who are immunocompromised or older, and as some Americans pursue the shots on their own. In the next week or two, the Food and Drug Administration is expected to review data from the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention supporting the use of additional vaccine doses for the immunocompromised.
If officials are persuaded, they will amend the emergency use authorizations for the vaccines to permit the extra inoculations. Advisers to the CDC and the agency, in turn, will urge people with certain medical conditions to talk to their doctors or pharmacists about getting the shots. Immunocompromised patients represent about 7 million adults in the United States, including those who have received organ transplants, patients on cancer treatments and those with rheumatologic conditions and HIV, according to the CDC. They are more likely to become seriously ill from covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and might more frequently spread the virus to others, experts say.
It is extremely important for us to move to get those individuals their boosters and we are now working on that, Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Thursday at a White House briefing. He said that many immunosuppressed people did not have a response to the vaccine that we feel would be adequately protective.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/08/06/booster-shots-immunocompromised-fda/
Info straight from Fauci from a briefing today...
They had already been talking it up and it's a bit of a reversal from back earlier in the year when they mentioned that boosters were "not needed" at the time. Delta changes all that.
cstanleytech
(26,080 posts)LisaL
(44,962 posts)NT
cstanleytech
(26,080 posts)we also face the potential for an additional complication of DKA should it be severe enough.
LisaL
(44,962 posts)IronLionZion
(45,252 posts)so I wouldn't be surprised if diabetics get it after that, like in round 2
droidamus2
(1,698 posts)My wife is a kidney transplant recipient so this is great news. Wouldn't it also be a good idea, yes this is self serving considering I am coming up on my 67 birthday, should those that live with the immumocompromised be offered the same booster?
OneCrazyDiamond
(2,029 posts)There are lots of people who still lack access to the first shot.
BumRushDaShow
(127,270 posts)From here - https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=2780565
As part of COVAX (global inititive to pool/ship vaccines) the U.S. has sent 110 million doses
From here (issued Tuesday) - https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/08/03/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-major-milestone-in-administrations-global-vaccination-efforts-more-than-100-million-u-s-covid-19-vaccine-doses-donated-and-shipped-abroad/
August 03, 2021
Statements and Releases
Building off of last weeks announcement of additional actions that we are taking to stop the spread of the Delta variant and get more people vaccinated in the United States, President Biden will give an update on another critical piece of his strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic: stopping the spread of the virus abroad. As one part of our strategy to do that, the President has promised that the United States will be an arsenal of vaccines for the world and is acting with the same urgency to combat the virus abroad as here at home. Today, the President will announce that the U.S. has now donated and shipped more than 110 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccines to more than 60 countries a major milestone that cements the United States as the global leader in COVID-19 vaccine donations. According to the United Nations, this is more than the donations of all other countries combined and reflects the generosity of the American spirit.
In June, the President committed to donate at least 80 million vaccines from the U.S. supply to countries throughout the world, and he promised to continue to share as we are able. Todays announcement is a fulfillment of his promise and a significant down payment on hundreds of millions of more doses that the U.S. will deliver in the coming weeks. The United States has been able to share these doses because of the aggressive action the President took when he came into office to secure enough vaccines for all Americans. The majority of these vaccines made in the United States were shipped through COVAX. The United States has also worked in close partnership with key regional partners, including the African Union and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
These more than 110 million doses that are already saving lives around the world are just the beginning of the Administrations efforts to provide vaccines to the world. Starting at the end of this month, the Administration will begin shipping a half a billion Pfizer doses that the United States has pledged to purchase and donate to 100 low- income countries in need.
Biden Administrations Approach to Sharing U.S. Vaccines: Our goals are to increase global COVID-19 vaccination coverage, prepare for surges and prioritize healthcare workers and other vulnerable populations based on public health data and acknowledged best practice, and help our neighbors and other countries in need. Importantly, the United States has not and will not use its vaccines to secure favors from other countries. Our aim is to save lives.
The Administration looks at a variety of factors, including COVID-19 case rates, death rates, and hospitalizations; current vaccination rates; responses to surges; and a countrys ability to receive vaccines and put shots into arms.
We will continue to work with COVAX, regional partners such as the African Union and CARICOM, and other partners to ensure these vaccines are delivered in a way that is equitable and follows the science and public health data. This is a unique moment in history, and it requires American leadership, science and ingenuity, perseverance, and we are demonstrating that we can deliver results for people around the world.
To date, the U.S. has donated COVID-19 vaccines as follows:
Afghanistan 3,300,000 | Malaysia 1,000,000
Argentina 3,500,000 | Mali 151,000
Bangladesh 5,500,000 | Mauritania 302,000
Benin 302,000 | Mexico 4,049,000
Bhutan 500,000 | Moldova 301,000
Bolivia 1,008,000 | Morocco 302,000
Brazil 3,000,000 | Mozambique 302,000
Burkina Faso 302,000 | Nepal 1,534,000
Cambodia 1,058,000 | Niger 316,000
Cameroon 303,000 | Nigeria 4,000,000
Canada 2,500,000 | Pakistan 5,500,000
CAR 302,000 | Panama 503,000
Colombia 6,000,000 | Paraguay 2,000,000
Costa Rica 500,000 | Peru 2,000,000
Djibouti 151,000 | Philippines 6,239,000
Ecuador 2,000,000 | PNG 302,000
El Salvador 3,000,000 | ROK 1,012,000
Eswatini 302,000 | Senegal 302,000
Ethiopia 1,664,000 | Somalia 302,000
Fiji 150,000 | South Africa 5,660,000
Gambia 302,000 | Sri Lanka 1,500,000
Georgia 503,000 | Sudan 604,000
Guatemala 4,500,000 | Taiwan 2,500,000
Guinea Bissau 302,000 | Tajikistan 1,500,000
Haiti 500,000 | Tanzania 1,058,000
Honduras 3,000,000 | Thailand 1,500,000
Indonesia 8,000,000 | Tunisia 1,000,000
Jordan 503,000 | Ukraine 2,000,000
Laos 1,000,000 | Uruguay 500,000
Lesotho 302,000 | Uzbekistan 3,000,000
Liberia 302,000 | Vietnam 5,000,000
Madagascar 302,000 | Zambia 302,000
Malawi 302,000 | Total 111,701,000
###
US Has Shipped 110 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Doses to 65 Countries
By Steve Herman
August 03, 2021 09:57 PM
WHITE HOUSE - Calling it a major milestone, U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday that the country has shipped more than 110 million doses of coronavirus vaccine to 65 nations that are among the hardest hit in the world.
"This is more than the donations of all 24 countries that donate any vaccine to other countries, including China and Russia," Biden said during remarks in the White House East Room. The president emphasized that Washington is making no demands for its donations of doses. "And there's no favoritism and no strings attached. We're doing this to save lives to end this pandemic," Biden said.
In response to a question from VOA on whether other high-income countries should follow the lead of the United States, the president replied: "I think those countries that have been able to cover their population and have the ability to provide either dollars and/or vaccines for the 100 or so net-poor nations that need help should do so."
Biden added that some Group of 7 countries, which made such pledges at their recent summit in England, have followed through. "We've kept the commitment that we would do what we said, which is more than all the rest of the countries combined this far," the president noted.
https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/us-has-shipped-110-million-covid-19-vaccine-doses-65-countries
So I am thinking that what WHO said was directed specifically to Germany, Israel, and Britain."
And to add to the above, I also saw where France was also planning boosters, so again, per what we have already done - sent out more doses to other countries than the other 24 countries COMBINED, I think we are on solid footing.
OneCrazyDiamond
(2,029 posts)BumRushDaShow
(127,270 posts)I posted what the U.S. has already done, which was detailed in a WH statement that was posted the day before that article from The Guardian was published.
And per that Guardian article, this was the response -
Washington has not yet announced a booster vaccination plan. But the White House appeared to reject the WHOs call, arguing it could deliver doses to Americans and support global vaccination efforts.
We definitely feel that its a false choice and we can do both, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters, adding that the US has donated more doses than any other country. Also in this country [we] have enough supply to ensure that every American has access to a vaccine, she added.
And that corresponds with the statement that had been released by the WH.
We're fine.
left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)Those Republican Cubans in Florida hold a lot of power.
BumRushDaShow
(127,270 posts)https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/inactivated-conjugate-covid-19-vaccines-1.6011962
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/cuba-says-second-covid-vaccine-soberana-2-boasts-912-efficacy-2021-07-09/
Of course like many other countries, it's a matter of getting that vaccine out to their populations.
Cuba has always had a robust medical program but I expect there is the debate regarding who they serve.
droidamus2
(1,698 posts)Is that lack of access just to do with where they live because it is my understanding that we have more than enough doses and we are even sending some overseas because we can't get people here to take them.
OneCrazyDiamond
(2,029 posts)"I understand the concern of all governments to protect their people from the Delta variant. But we cannot accept countries that have already used most of the global supply of vaccines using even more of it," Tedros added.
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/who-calls-moratorium-covid-19-vaccine-booster-doses-until-september-end-2021-08-04/
TexasBushwhacker
(20,043 posts)There are poor countries that would have people lined up for miles if they could get the shot.
OneCrazyDiamond
(2,029 posts)Being vaccinated means extremely low chance of death. We need to get everyone there as fast as possible. The delta variant proves this can get worse for all of us if the right variant comes from the unvaccinated.