A Simple Rule for Planning Your Fall Booster Shot

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In less than two weeks, you could walk out of a pharmacy with a next-generation COVID booster in your arm. Just a few days ago, the Biden administration indicated that the first updated COVID-19 vaccines would be available shortly after Labor Day to Americans 12 and older who have already had their primary series. Unlike the shots the U.S. has now, the new doses from Pfizer and Moderna will be bivalent, which means they’ll contain genetic material based both on the ancestral strain of the coronavirus and on two newer Omicron subvariants that are circulating in the U.S.

These shots’ new formulation promises some level of protection that simply hasn’t been possible with the original vaccines. “A bivalent vaccine will have some benefit for almost everybody who gets it,” Rishi Goel, an immunologist at the University of Pennsylvania, told me. “How much benefit that is, we’re still not exactly sure.” People who aren’t at high risk could end up only marginally more protected against severe outcomes, and no one thinks the shots will banish COVID infections for good. There is, however, a simple rule of thumb that nearly everyone can follow to maximize the uncertain gains from a shot: Wait three to six months from your last COVID infection or vaccination.

Read more at The Atlantic.

CDPHE to send vaccine reminder texts and emails to Colorado parents and guardians

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COLORADO (KRDO) — Beginning this week, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) will send text messages and email notifications to parents and guardians whose records in the Colorado Immunization System indicate their child/children or teen may be overdue for a childhood or adolescent vaccine.

These vaccines include human papillomavirus (HPV), meningococcal, tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap).

The CDPHE said the parents or guardians of more than 10,700 children and adolescents between ages 7-18 will be contacted.

Read more at KRDO.

This Back-to-School Season, We Can’t Forget Lifesaving Immunizations

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The World Health Organization and UNICEF recently shared a jarring number: Nearly 25 million children globally missed out on doses of a key immunization in 2021. This is coupled with data showing that more than 4 in 10 parents said they would not vaccinate their children under age 5 against COVID-19 and that only 30% of children ages 5 to 11 have been fully vaccinated.

As kids around the country have already returned or are preparing to head back to school, these dangerous trends emphasize the need for ensuring the children of our nation are vaccinated, up to date on immunizations and, ultimately, healthy.

As a family physician, there are a few things I know to be true. First, vaccines are safe, effective and save lives. They are the leading public health tool to combat disease and hospitalization, including for children. Second, primary care physicians are a trusted source of information for their patients, and we are key partners in keeping our local communities healthy. Third, we cannot forget about lifesaving routine immunizations – ones that provide critical protection against potentially deadly diseases.

Read more at U.S. News.

Fact Check: Is Vaccine-Derived Polio Causing Spike in Cases in the West?

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With the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic still being felt, the lockdown-weary public shudders at media coverage of new worrying viruses entering the frame.

The ongoing spike in monkeypox cases and the resurgence of polio across the developed world have brought some of those fears to the fore, and given fuel to existing anti-vaccine narratives on social media.

With so many confusing and misleading claims circulating online, Newsweek Fact Check looked into what polio is, how it spreads, and the historical significance of polio vaccines.

Read more at Newsweek.

Set Your Child Up for a Healthy School Year with Vaccines

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As a parent, a big part of your job is ensuring your child’s health and well-being. You want your child to thrive! One of the most effective and safe ways to ensure your child’s health is by keeping them up to date with their vaccines; this is especially important as you send them back to school this fall.

Outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases do happen.

We don’t see evidence of vaccine-preventable diseases in our everyday lives like the generations before us did. This provides a false sense of comfort and makes some people think it’s okay to delay or skip routine childhood vaccines. The truth is, these diseases are no longer a part of our everyday reality because vaccines work. Still, the viruses and bacteria that cause vaccine-preventable diseases haven’t gone anywhere, and with low vaccination rates in a community, we risk spreading them. Delaying or skipping routine childhood vaccines is a dangerous risk to take with your child. It also puts others at risk, including vulnerable individuals like cancer patients and the elderly.

In Rockland County, New York, where there is a low polio vaccination rate, one individual was recently diagnosed with the disease. This is the first polio case in the U.S. since 2013. Wastewater samples verify that the virus is circulating in the community. Polio can cause paralysis and death, and young children are especially susceptible. But polio is not the only cause for concern. This interactive map from the American Academy of Pediatrics shows other recent outbreaks across the country, including mumps and measles. These potentially dangerous diseases can return and spread in our communities if we let vaccination rates drop.

Make sure your child’s vaccines are up to date.

Recent reports show a significant decline in routine immunizations. In Colorado, data show that while Colorado childhood vaccination rates are improving, they are still lagging behind pre-pandemic levels. This means we are not where we need to be to ensure our community’s health. While this is cause for concern, it shouldn’t cause panic. It should, however, prompt you to ensure that your child is on schedule with routine vaccines such as DTaP (which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis), MMR (which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella), and Hib (which protects against Haemophilus influenzae type B).

You can find a list of all the vaccines required for Colorado school and childcare entry here, and you can check your child’s vaccine records through the Colorado Immunization Information System. If your child is behind on their vaccine schedule, it’s okay. You can still get them on track! By making sure they are caught up, you can have confidence in knowing you’ve given your children the best protection – especially as they return to school and spend their days around other students. When kids are vaccinated, they protect their friends and classmates, too. Vaccination can also ensure your child won’t be excluded from school or miss important learning opportunities due to illness.

Making sure your child has been vaccinated against COVID-19 is important, too. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, some people have proclaimed that COVID-19 infection in kids is not a big deal. That’s often not the case, as many healthcare workers describe, including Children’s Hospital Colorado emergency physician Dr. Lalit Bajaj. Dr. Bajaj shares his experience caring for hundreds of kids with COVID-19 in this YouTube video. He describes the COVID-19 complication that many children develop, called MISC, as “a devastating syndrome that happens about four to six weeks after a child gets COVID.” There is also concern over flu and kids this coming season as described in this article from USA Today stating that experts “are worried school-age children and teens may be at more risk this year.” Making sure your child gets their flu and COVID-19 vaccines will help keep them healthy at school and throughout the respiratory illness season.

A note on safety.

Some parents have fears about vaccine safety. The truth is, vaccines undergo rigorous testing and are monitored for safety continuously. In fact, as Voices for Vaccines points out, “you are 333 times more likely to be struck by lightning than to have a serious adverse reaction to a vaccine.” So while your child may experience mild reactions such as redness at the injection site, fatigue, or mild fever (all of which mean the vaccine is working to create immunity) after vaccination, the chances of them having a serious reaction are extremely rare. Vaccines are safe, vaccines are effective, and vaccines protect us!

Trust the experts and ask them your vaccine questions.

It’s completely normal to have questions about vaccines – especially when it comes to your child! There is a lot of information out there regarding vaccines, but a lot of it isn’t accurate. Especially on social media – vaccine misinformation is rampant. Navigating all these voices makes it difficult to make informed decisions. To be sure the information you get is correct, talk to your child’s medical provider about your concerns – they’re the expert on your child’s health!

Be a part of the solution!

You probably did not grow up in a time or place where vaccine-preventable diseases were common. Unlike generations before us, childhood death and severe illness are likely not familiar experiences. But without vaccines, we risk these diseases coming back.  We can all do our part to protect our children and others they interact with. We can help ensure their school community is healthy by vaccinating them against vaccine-preventable diseases, COVID-19, and flu. Vaccines are one of the best tools you have to protect your child’s health and set them up for a successful school year! For more information about where to get vaccines for your child including no and low-cost vaccine clinics, visit our Vaccine Information page or schedule a visit with your child’s medical provider today.

Immunize Colorado was formed in 1991 in response to alarmingly low vaccination rates across the state. At the time, only about 50% of Colorado’s children were adequately vaccinated. A group of physicians and other concerned individuals came together to strategize how to best protect Coloradans from vaccine-preventable diseases. Much work remains. You can donate or discover other ways to get involved to support our commitment to healthy Colorado communities today!

The Best Time To Get Your 2022 Flu Shot, According To A Vaccine Expert

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, everyone 6 months and older should get their flu shot every season, with a few rare exceptions.

While the flu has a reputation of being mild, that is not the case for many people. The flu kills tens of thousands of people every year ― the CDC noted that it has caused “52,000 deaths annually between 2010 and 2020.”

Below, a vaccine expert shares when to get your flu shot this year and why it’s important to get the jab.

Does everyone need to get a flu shot?

Yes. If COVID-19 has taught us anything, we now know just how important vaccination is to stop the spread of a virus. As we live through another pandemic fall, it’s important to be as protected as possible against both COVID-19 and the flu.

Read more at Huff Post.

Omicron-specific Covid booster shots are just weeks away. Here’s who will—and won’t—be eligible

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Newly updated Covid booster shots designed to target omicron’s BA.5 subvariant should be available within in the next three weeks. That begs an important question: Who’s going to be eligible to get them?

The short answer: anyone ages 12 and up who has completed a primary vaccination series, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokesperson tells CNBC Make It. It’s unlikely to matter whether you’ve received any other booster doses or not before, the spokesperson says — but if you’re unvaccinated, you won’t be eligible for the updated formula until you complete a primary series with the existing Covid vaccines.

Read more at CNBC.

Colorado deploys monkeypox dashboard amid “significant” case count

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The Colorado Department of Public Health published an online dashboard Thursday to track rising monkeypox cases — and corresponding demographic data — across the state.

Why it matters: Thousands of vulnerable Coloradans are waitlisted for the vaccine, and the new tool could help local health leaders ensure the limited doses go to the people and communities that need them most.

By the numbers: Of the 168 known monkeypox cases in the state, nearly two-thirds have been in metro Denver.

Read more at Axios Denver.

The new U.S. monkeypox vaccine strategy offers more doses — and uncertainty

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After a bumpy start, the Biden administration is trying to smooth out the vaccination campaign aimed at controlling the country’s growing monkeypox outbreak.

The effort now rests on a new and untested strategy of dividing up what were previously full doses in order to stretch the limited stockpile of vaccines in the U.S.

This comes as monkeypox cases have climbed well above 14,000 in the U.S. – a case count higher than any other country in the world – and yet many local health departments still report not having enough vaccines to reach all those who are considered at heightened risk of contracting the disease.

Read more at NPR.

Are monkeypox vaccines getting to people most at risk? It’s hard to tell, but early data isn’t promising

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About three months into the ongoing monkeypox outbreak in the US, there are more than 12,000 cases and counting.

But despite a growing supply of the Jynneos vaccine — and a new strategy that could stretch the current supply five times further — there is still no evidence that protection is reaching those most at risk.

“If you think about the reality that there’s a limited amount of vaccinations available, you really want to understand which groups to go after first,” said Dr. Stella Safo, an HIV primary care physician and founder of the advocacy group Just Equity for Health.

“That is the equity lens — that we’re not all experiencing diseases and different social determinants of health equally. So therefore, the treatments and the available resources should also target those who need them the most.”

Read more at CNN.

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