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New vaccines arrives for virus season

Shots protect against COVID-19, RSV and flu

By: Adrianna Rodriguez
USA Today

..... The pools are closing, the kids are back in school and pumpkin-flavored products turn to grocery store shelves.
..... All the makings of fall are officially upon us, including respiratory viruses.
..... But this fall [2024] and winter will not be like years past. Since the pandemic, health officials have approved new vaccines to help Americans reduce severe symptoms from COVID-19, respiratory syntactical virus, or RSV, and influenza.
..... Experts urge eligible people to get their recommended vaccines and plan for the respiratory virus season by stocking up on at-home test kits and over-the-counter medications and making action plans with their providers for what to do if they get sick.
..... "We have vaccines, testing and treatment against the illnesses responsible for the majority of fall and winter deaths and hospitalizations," Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a news conference August 23. [2024] "The best plan going into this winter is for everyone to remain vigilant (and) to use these tools."
..... Here's what to know about shots now available for adults and how is eligible to get them.

COVID-19 vaccines

..... Mill lions of updated COVID-19 vaccines are now available at health care facilities across the U.S. following recent Food and drug Administration approval. Major retail pharmacies, such as CVS and Walgreens are taking appointments and welcoming walk-ins.
..... The shots from Pfizer and Mpoderna are designed to target the KP.2 variant using messenger RNA, or mRNA, technology.
..... In June, [2024] the CDC recommended these vaccines for everyone 6 months and older.
..... Health officials say the new vaccines should protect against the variants currently circularity in the U.S. As of Wednesday, [08/28/2024] the sub-variant KP.3.11 made up nearly 37% of COVID-19 cases in the country, and the KP.3 variant made up over 16%, according to CDC data.
..... Novavax, whose vaccine has yet to be approved this year, [2024] uses a traditional protein-based vaccine against the JN.1 lineage, which should provide an immune response against circulating sub-variants.
..... In a statement, Novavax said it expect its pre-filled syringes will be available "in time for peak vaccination season."

Improving this season's roll-out

..... Experts hope this year's [2024] roll-out will be smoother than last year's [2023] which was the first time the COVID-19 vaccine was managed by commercial supply chains instead of the federal government. Problems arising with wholesalers, distributors, pharmacies and insurance companies delayed the shots until long after the vaccine had been approved.
..... "There were a lot of kinks last year [2023] to work out of the first time," said Dr. Kisha Davis, chief health officer for Montgomery County, Maryland, and board member of the American academy of Family Physicians. "A lot of that stuff has been worked out this year." [2024]
..... Experts also worry about how uninsured and under-insured Americans will afford COVID-19 vaccines without the Bridge Access program. The $1.1 billion program has provided 1.5 million free shots since its launch in September of last year. [2023] that funding ended August 31. [2024]
..... To distribute $62 million in "Unused vaccine contract money" to local and state health department's to provide updated vaccines for uninsured or under-insured people.
..... But it's not enough, said Chrissie Juliano, executive director of Big Cities Health Coalition, which represents local health departments nationwide. There's also little information about how much money is going where, and how local and state health departments are allowed to spend it.
..... "What we're really lacking is that fiance for inventory," said Crystal La Tour Rambaud, who oversees the immunization program for the Pima County Health Department in Arizona. "If this money goes directly to inventory, that would certainly be a relief."
..... For the second year, health care providers are also offering certain adults vaccines to protect them against RSV.
..... RSV is a respiratory virus that infects nearly everyone by the time they're 2. It cases cold symptoms, affecting the breathing passage and lungs, according to the CDC.
..... While it;s the leading cause of hospitalizations among newborns and younger children, it also strikes later in life, causing more than 177,000 hospitalizations and 14,000 deaths among older adults each year.
..... There are three vaccines approved for older adults this season: Arexvy from GSK Abrvsvi from Pfizer and mRESVIA from Moderna. The Modernavaccine is the first mRNA vaccine for an illness other than COVID-19 to be approved in the U.S. All the vaccines are recommended for all adults 75 and older and adults 60 to 74 with an increased risk of severe disease.
..... Pfizer's Abrosvo is also recommended for pregnant people to protect newborns from lower respiratory infections. The shot is approved for use during the 32nd and 36th weeks of pregnancy during the RSV season, which typically starts in September and runs thought January in the U.S.
..... "That gives them enough time to build antibody response through the vaccine and cross through the placenta to give the infant protections when they're born," Dr. Sterling Ransone, board chair of the American Academy of Family Physicians, previously told USA Today.
..... Unlike annual vaccines, eligible adults only need the RSV shot once in their lifetime.
..... Amid all the new vaccines on the market, experts hope Americans don't forget their annual flu vaccine. An advisory committee at the CDC recommended routine seasonal flu shots for people 6 months and older. This shot is tailored to target the three influenza A strains that were dominant last winter.
..... "Our top recommendation for protecting yourself and your loved ones for respiratory illness is to get vaccines," Cohen said.

..... Contributing: Eduard Cuevas, USA Today.

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