Do you foresee the CDC vaccine guidelines/scehdules being updated significantly under the current administration?How concerned should we be about vaccine access being impacted for those of us that want to continue to vaccinate ourselves and children (i.e., follow the CDC guidelines in place prior to the current administration)?
I would like to underscore this question! And, what about updates to the vaccine based on variants? I would love to see a few more posts tracking this.
I'm interested in how flu deaths are being tracked. My mom passed 2/12 after contracting the flu and her roommate who was also elderly also passed. My student just emailed her grandma's labs in India a day ago which looked very similar to mom's (anemia, multi-system failure, sepsis) and she just passed. The pope has the same symptoms. All have underlying conditions but they are all clearly dying of flu. I feel like this flu strain is particularly high for mortality rate but that isn't matching up with past years' data. Is this due to tracking or me being obviously affected by my experience with mom and what happened at her facility? What can we do to make assisted living and other elder care facilities take the flu more seriously? She was in a Cadillac of a place ($10k a month) and it still ripped through like wild fire. I will note that after an off the record talk with the facilities director they were MUCH more proactive for their latest outbreak (norovirus) and shut down the communal dining area. Sigh. Too late for mom but hopefully someone else's mom will get an extra year or two.
Yeah, I guess this year is bad compared to recent years but I worked as an RN in ICUs in CA + AZ in, I think 1994-5, when hospitals ran out of ventilators from a bad flu season at least in the West.
I got that horrible flu in 97- I remember that season being really bad as well. Honestly the hospital mom was at was overflowing and many of them with flu. I think the bipap and ventilator supply went up with covid but they kept mom's in the room even on hospice because they were so difficult to get.
I am concerned about RFK's associates talking about taking away authorization of covid vaccines. Could this happen and could it happen to other things with FDA emergency or even full approval?
Pro-science, pro-vaccination, often-masked here. I have all that I was permitted/recommended to get but I do wonder with decreased variants of concern if yearly Covid vaccinations would remain the recommendation even under a sane administration. To be clear, even a little protection is worthwhile!
Are there any vaccines that adults should/could go to get (maybe boosters of standard vaccines or non-standard in the US currently) before they may be hit with supply or dissemination problems?
I was thrilled when I thought Telehealth would be extended for 2 years, this is going to present a barrier to care for so many. It was a prelude of what followed.
I’d like more information about Covid. There is a whole community of Covid-conscious people who rely on trusted sources of information like you to continue to navigate the COVID pandemic. And as someone with long COVID symptoms it’s all the more reason to avoid getting COVID
Dr. Jetelina, do you know at what age children were being immunized against measles in the 1960s? I don't know if my immunization was before or after 1968 because I don't know at what age I would have gotten it. Thanks for your work.
“In 1963, both an inactivated ("killed") and a live, attenuated (Edmonston B strain) measles vaccine were licensed for use in the United States. The inactivated vaccine was withdrawn in 1967 because it did not protect well against measles. The original Edmonston B vaccine was withdrawn in 1975 because of a relatively high frequency of fever and rash in recipients. A live, further attenuated (Schwarz strain) vaccine was first introduced in 1965, but also is no longer used in the United States. Another live, further attenuated strain (Edmonston-Enders strain) vaccine was licensed in 1968. These further attenuated vaccines caused fewer reactions than the original Edmonston B vaccine. In 1971, measles vaccine was licensed as a combined measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. In 2005, a combination measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine was licensed.”
Thank you! My mother always believed that my brother caught the measles from his vaccine (and i had a complicated bad reaction) and people have told me that's impossible. But by your timeline, it would have been possible then. It's because the vaccines were less reliable in my childhood that i had my titer checked a few years ago (that, and the reaction that scared my mom, so i didn't want to get a new vaccine unless i needed it.)
I was born in 1960, and my records show that I was vaccinated in 1963. I don't know if that was standard, but my mother was very conscientious about following the official vaccination recommendations of the time.
Somewhat off-topic, but I'm curious to know if there was a significant need for a MMR booster in high schools (particularly in Southern CA) during the late 70s? I have a vague recollection that I received a booster for something during that period. If so, then I won't worry about getting a booster since my first immunization was in the early 60s.
I'd like to hear more about Covid 19 vaccine timing/frequency. I've been getting it every 6 months, but my pharmacist said I only need it every year now. Which is right?
Could you write about the mental health and medical impacts anti-trans laws have on trans and non-binary individuals, including children, adolescents and adults?
Worry—about everything! We appreciate you keeping us informed in the midst of a government that opposes science and public health.
Do you foresee the CDC vaccine guidelines/scehdules being updated significantly under the current administration?How concerned should we be about vaccine access being impacted for those of us that want to continue to vaccinate ourselves and children (i.e., follow the CDC guidelines in place prior to the current administration)?
I would like to underscore this question! And, what about updates to the vaccine based on variants? I would love to see a few more posts tracking this.
This is the question that keeps going through my mind as well. Will access to and production of vaccines become greatly limited?
I'm interested in how flu deaths are being tracked. My mom passed 2/12 after contracting the flu and her roommate who was also elderly also passed. My student just emailed her grandma's labs in India a day ago which looked very similar to mom's (anemia, multi-system failure, sepsis) and she just passed. The pope has the same symptoms. All have underlying conditions but they are all clearly dying of flu. I feel like this flu strain is particularly high for mortality rate but that isn't matching up with past years' data. Is this due to tracking or me being obviously affected by my experience with mom and what happened at her facility? What can we do to make assisted living and other elder care facilities take the flu more seriously? She was in a Cadillac of a place ($10k a month) and it still ripped through like wild fire. I will note that after an off the record talk with the facilities director they were MUCH more proactive for their latest outbreak (norovirus) and shut down the communal dining area. Sigh. Too late for mom but hopefully someone else's mom will get an extra year or two.
Yeah, I guess this year is bad compared to recent years but I worked as an RN in ICUs in CA + AZ in, I think 1994-5, when hospitals ran out of ventilators from a bad flu season at least in the West.
I got that horrible flu in 97- I remember that season being really bad as well. Honestly the hospital mom was at was overflowing and many of them with flu. I think the bipap and ventilator supply went up with covid but they kept mom's in the room even on hospice because they were so difficult to get.
You are a godsend. Please keep doing what you are doing. We need you now more than ever.
I am concerned about RFK's associates talking about taking away authorization of covid vaccines. Could this happen and could it happen to other things with FDA emergency or even full approval?
Pro-science, pro-vaccination, often-masked here. I have all that I was permitted/recommended to get but I do wonder with decreased variants of concern if yearly Covid vaccinations would remain the recommendation even under a sane administration. To be clear, even a little protection is worthwhile!
Protection wanes in 5 months in adults, so more frequent vaccinations for high risk groups still make sense
How is the development of a more-effective (nasal?) covid vaccine coming along?
Are there any vaccines that adults should/could go to get (maybe boosters of standard vaccines or non-standard in the US currently) before they may be hit with supply or dissemination problems?
Practical steps that we can take to protect our health and that of everyone else as RFK takes over.
I was thrilled when I thought Telehealth would be extended for 2 years, this is going to present a barrier to care for so many. It was a prelude of what followed.
What, if anything, should seniors who were born pre 1958 do about measles prevention? Most of us had measles. Does that still provide protection?
And how about those of us (myself included) who were born pre-1958 and never got measles?
I’d like more information about Covid. There is a whole community of Covid-conscious people who rely on trusted sources of information like you to continue to navigate the COVID pandemic. And as someone with long COVID symptoms it’s all the more reason to avoid getting COVID
Dr. Jetelina, do you know at what age children were being immunized against measles in the 1960s? I don't know if my immunization was before or after 1968 because I don't know at what age I would have gotten it. Thanks for your work.
From the vaccine “bible” for Public health professionals - “Pink Book - https://www.cdc.gov/pinkbook/hcp/table-of-contents/chapter-13-measles.html.
“In 1963, both an inactivated ("killed") and a live, attenuated (Edmonston B strain) measles vaccine were licensed for use in the United States. The inactivated vaccine was withdrawn in 1967 because it did not protect well against measles. The original Edmonston B vaccine was withdrawn in 1975 because of a relatively high frequency of fever and rash in recipients. A live, further attenuated (Schwarz strain) vaccine was first introduced in 1965, but also is no longer used in the United States. Another live, further attenuated strain (Edmonston-Enders strain) vaccine was licensed in 1968. These further attenuated vaccines caused fewer reactions than the original Edmonston B vaccine. In 1971, measles vaccine was licensed as a combined measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. In 2005, a combination measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine was licensed.”
Thank you! My mother always believed that my brother caught the measles from his vaccine (and i had a complicated bad reaction) and people have told me that's impossible. But by your timeline, it would have been possible then. It's because the vaccines were less reliable in my childhood that i had my titer checked a few years ago (that, and the reaction that scared my mom, so i didn't want to get a new vaccine unless i needed it.)
I was born in 1960, and my records show that I was vaccinated in 1963. I don't know if that was standard, but my mother was very conscientious about following the official vaccination recommendations of the time.
I was a pediatric medical assistant in the 70s, and as I recall we gave the MMR between 1 year and 18 months.
Somewhat off-topic, but I'm curious to know if there was a significant need for a MMR booster in high schools (particularly in Southern CA) during the late 70s? I have a vague recollection that I received a booster for something during that period. If so, then I won't worry about getting a booster since my first immunization was in the early 60s.
I'd like to hear more about Covid 19 vaccine timing/frequency. I've been getting it every 6 months, but my pharmacist said I only need it every year now. Which is right?
And with infection—still recommended to wait 6-9 months for maximum impact?
Could you write about the mental health and medical impacts anti-trans laws have on trans and non-binary individuals, including children, adolescents and adults?
I am worried about the bad norovirus this year. Is it still high? Is there a state-by-state breakout of the trends?
'Force of Infection' includes regional newsletters that look at state details. For norovirus, she tracks test positivity.
https://caitlinrivers.substack.com/newsletters
You can find wastewater data for noro -
https://data.wastewaterscan.org/
Yes. I haven’t been to the gym in 6 weeks because I’m afraid I’ll get it, and my husband is immunocompromised.
I never got a measles shot. I actually had the measles...There were no shots for measles..so my question is: Should I get a measles shot?