Covid-19 Booster Shots?
Sep. 17th, 2021 11:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerThere's been a lot of discussion among experts about whether we'll need Covid-19 vaccine booster shots. Scientists from the companies that make the vaccines, along with many public health experts, point to evidence that immunity is weakening in people after several months. If so, we'd need boosters to keep our immunity at the 90-95% level initially measured in the vaccines. Even Dr. Fauci has said he expects boosters will be necessary. The Biden administration said a few weeks ago it expects to start delivering boosters later this month. Other experts argue that the evidence is inconclusive, and/or that available vaccine doses are better delivered to people who have no shots rather than people who've already had two.
Today a committee of advisors at the FDA voted against, 16-2, recommending boosters be made available to everyone 16 and older. But they also voted 18-0 to recommend boosters for people age 65+ and "those at high risk of severe Covid-19"— whatever that means— 6 months after they get their first two shots. Source: CNN.com article 17 Sep 2021. The committee's recommendation is not binding on the FDA or the CDC, which must approve before any doses officially are given.
Why did most of the FDA advisors vote to recommend against widespread booster shots? It turns out they were vocal about it, as another CNN.com article (17 Sep 2021) remarks. The arguments against boil down to 2 basic reasons. One, there isn't enough data yet. Two, the available doses are better used on people who haven't received any yet than on providing a 3rd shot to those who've already gotten two.
I'm of mixed mind about these reasons. For argument one, I agree with getting proper data, but "we need more data" is also a cop-out. How much data a person needs is subjective. Meanwhile, how many people will get sick and die or suffer long-term illness? Covid-19 is only as little of a mess in the US as it is— "only" 42 million cases and 673,000 dead as of today— because the vaccines were given speedy emergency use authorization.
Argument two, that available vaccine doses are better directed toward the unvaccinated, is valid in theory but ignorant of what's happened in the US over the past several months. Experts at the WHO have been making this argument for a while, and for global health it's understandable.A few months ago only 10% worldwide were vaccinated. Poor countries had vax rates in the low single digits. But today the global vaccination rate is 31.5% (source: Our World In Data, retrieved 17 Sep 2021). Globally there are still people who want vaccines but haven't been able to get them.
Here in the US, though, it's a different story. Vaccines have been freely available for months. 55% have been fully vaccinated and about another 10% have gotten one shot. The remaining 35% or so who haven't gotten the vaccine don't want it. They are refusers. While a very small number have valid medical reasons why getting the vaccine is dangerous, most of that 35% are people who refuse for political reasons. They've fallen prey to disinformation peddled by people seeking self-aggrandizement despite the enormous threat people's lives and livelihoods they cause. Special clinics that were swamped delivering shots back in April are closed up now for lack of demand. Saving doses for the refusers will not improve overall public health here. The Covidiots won't take them. So let's open them up as boosters for those of us willing to take personal responsibility for not just protecting our own health but helping to solve this pandemic.
Today a committee of advisors at the FDA voted against, 16-2, recommending boosters be made available to everyone 16 and older. But they also voted 18-0 to recommend boosters for people age 65+ and "those at high risk of severe Covid-19"— whatever that means— 6 months after they get their first two shots. Source: CNN.com article 17 Sep 2021. The committee's recommendation is not binding on the FDA or the CDC, which must approve before any doses officially are given.
Why did most of the FDA advisors vote to recommend against widespread booster shots? It turns out they were vocal about it, as another CNN.com article (17 Sep 2021) remarks. The arguments against boil down to 2 basic reasons. One, there isn't enough data yet. Two, the available doses are better used on people who haven't received any yet than on providing a 3rd shot to those who've already gotten two.
I'm of mixed mind about these reasons. For argument one, I agree with getting proper data, but "we need more data" is also a cop-out. How much data a person needs is subjective. Meanwhile, how many people will get sick and die or suffer long-term illness? Covid-19 is only as little of a mess in the US as it is— "only" 42 million cases and 673,000 dead as of today— because the vaccines were given speedy emergency use authorization.
Argument two, that available vaccine doses are better directed toward the unvaccinated, is valid in theory but ignorant of what's happened in the US over the past several months. Experts at the WHO have been making this argument for a while, and for global health it's understandable.A few months ago only 10% worldwide were vaccinated. Poor countries had vax rates in the low single digits. But today the global vaccination rate is 31.5% (source: Our World In Data, retrieved 17 Sep 2021). Globally there are still people who want vaccines but haven't been able to get them.
Here in the US, though, it's a different story. Vaccines have been freely available for months. 55% have been fully vaccinated and about another 10% have gotten one shot. The remaining 35% or so who haven't gotten the vaccine don't want it. They are refusers. While a very small number have valid medical reasons why getting the vaccine is dangerous, most of that 35% are people who refuse for political reasons. They've fallen prey to disinformation peddled by people seeking self-aggrandizement despite the enormous threat people's lives and livelihoods they cause. Special clinics that were swamped delivering shots back in April are closed up now for lack of demand. Saving doses for the refusers will not improve overall public health here. The Covidiots won't take them. So let's open them up as boosters for those of us willing to take personal responsibility for not just protecting our own health but helping to solve this pandemic.
