COVID-19

Booster shots for the adult population in the United States is feasible. The US currently has a stockpile of approximately 100 million COVID-19 vaccine doses. But, some ask, what about the poorer countries?

Herd immunity is no longer possible, the virus is mutating and likely has animal hosts. We must raise the bar on public health outcomes, not only focusing on deaths but also morbidity and long-hauler syndrome which can be all too common, even occurring with vaccine breakthrough infections.

Booster shots are great, but the way back to our normal lives involves a multi-pronged approach to infection prevention.

A CDC investigation shows 2.3 times the number of reinfections with natural immunity compared to breakthrough infections in those who are vaccinated.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending August 13.

The ruling was primarily made to benefit organ transplant patients but others with compromised immune systems, such as those battling cancer and HIV, would also be eligible for booster shots. They can be made available as early as tonight.

The delta variant is taking advantage of opportunities presented by some Americans who resist getting vaccinated and masking up.

The findings provide support for 2-dose vaccine uptake in the wake of surging cases driven by the highly transmissible delta variant.

The FDA is expected to approve the move today, and the CDC could do the same tomorrow. The shots might be available by tomorrow night. Will those over 60 be next to be offered booster shots?

While not perfect, the mRNA vaccines do markedly reduce the chances of hospitalizations from critical disease and death. This is a huge plus.

Kevin Kavanagh, MD: “COVID-19 is not just respiratory, it affects every organ of the body. This is a serious type of infection. And we need to be focusing on trying to keep this virus from spreading, plus protecting our young.”

The Nursing Home Improvement and Accountability Act of 2021 bolsters the standing of infection preventionists, but begs the question: Where’s the money going to come from?

As questions arise about vaccine efficacy and how effective they’ll be against the growing list of COVID-19 variants, the United States might have to rely more and more on another mitigation method: testing.

An infection prevention officer at the hospital along with key clinical personnel and administrators had to give the OK for the prototype mask to be manufactured.

G. Rumay Alexander, EdD, RN: “When experience shows up, it speaks and it speaks loudly. It usually shows up as a feeling, or a thought, or a belief, or a decision about who’s worthy of getting the best care, or the minimum amount.”

Data show how the lambda COVID-19 variant could possibly elude vaccines. One of the lead researchers of a new study calls lambda “a potential threat to the human society.”

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending August 6.

Brace yourselves for a rough August in the United States, infection preventionists. But come September the country might see a sharp decline in Delta variant cases.

Data collected by Britain’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, Japanese researchers, and the US Department of Agriculture paint a picture of a growing challenge.

The WHO wants a moratorium on COVID-19 booster shots until poorer countries can catch up to richer countries in getting first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines into the arms of citizens.

The Delta variant is burning through areas in the country where many people are unvaccinated and seems to be targeting younger Americans aged 50 and under and, says one ER physician, they’re “more intensive to care for.”

Should older people get boosters? The data from Israel indicate that this needs to be given strong consideration in those above 60 years old who were fully vaccinated by the end of January.

The CDC data seem to show just how vulnerable even vaccinated people are to the Delta variant.

Investigators in Chile conclude that the lambda COVID-19 variant is not only more infectious than standard SARS-CoV-2, but could also possibly shrug off vaccines. The first case in the United States has been spotted at Houston Methodist Hospital.

The issue of breakthrough infections is increasingly coming up. How frequent are they? How infectious are they? Simply put, we know the COVID-19 vaccines do not offer sterilizing immunity.