Happy Juneteenth!
Schedule a travel consult if you are planning on doing international travel.
This weekend the CDC approved Covid vaccination for all children over 6 months (the same age group that gets the flu shot).They have approved both Moderna and Pfizer. To avoid confusion I want to point out a couple of things.
First it appears that the Moderna shot for kids is only a series of 2 and Pfizer is a series of 3 but then when you look at the efficacy of the shots it appears Pfizer has a higher rate of effectiveness. If however the child only gets 2 Pfizer shots the effectiveness equals out. Bottom line you can expect that there will be a recommendation for a booster at some point, just not as quickly.
Here is a response to a question from the CDC:
"Why do you think kids should be vaccinated against COVID?"
This virus is smarter than we ever imagined. I remember saying in 2020 that this virus has got it made because it transmits really well. That was true of the early isolates of SARS-CoV-2. Omicron and its subvariants are more transmissible than measles—one of the most infectious diseases we know of.
What that means is that virtually everybody is going to get infected with this virus sooner or later. So, even if complications in children are rare, if everybody is getting infected, the absolute number of children who will have serious disease or who will die is not a small number.
Right now, the CDC estimates that 1,200 children have died of COVID. We're talking for the most part about generally healthy children or children with minor medical issues. This is a tragedy. Whatever we can do to avoid this tragedy is something we should do.
We have Moderna vaccine available in the office for initial or booster vaccination for adults and children. Yes, I will vaccinate any child with Moderna, whose parent wants it. The vaccination can be given in conjunction with all the other childhood vaccines.
Vaccination is the most reliable way to be protected but obviously you should still use all the other methods of protection.
If you have questions about Paxlovid for Covid please refer to my last email.
Feel free to call if your Covid test is positive and we can jointly decide what is the best path for you to take.
Don't forget to use your sunblock, preferably medical grade and stay hydrated.
Cases of Monkey Pox continue to rise. There have been 60 cases in 18 states so far. Unusually, the disease in the US seems to be predominantly sexually transmitted and most of the lesions are found around the mouth and genital areas. If you have any concerns about this disease please read up on it on the CDC website.
BTW: Eventually a 4th vaccine will be approved for Covid in this country. It is called Novavax and it is made in a way similar to Hepatitis B, Tetanus and HPV vaccines. Very different to the current Covid vaccines available. It has taken a lot longer to get to market than the others and hopefully the wrinkles will eventually be ironed out. There are also rumors that it maybe combined with the flu shot so you only have to get one shot in the fall. We will see
Here is an interesting statistic:
Harvard researchers found for every sugary drink like soda that people consume on average per day, the risk of dying from heart disease increases by 10 per cent.
Enjoy your summer!
