Well, we currently have three public health emergencies across the globe and in the United States: COVID-19, monkeypox, and polio. Here is a State of Affairs for all fronts. Buckle up. COVID-19 In most countries, BA.5 is beginning to wind down. This is a welcome reprieve given that in the past four weeks we lost
Please, please continue to emphasize masking. The threat of severe disease is still significant for some populations, and long Covid remains a real risk.
Katelyn, I had the Salk injection and the attenuated virus on the sugar cube as a child.. Do ypu feel that I am probably protected against paralysis, or do you feel that I should get the current polio vaccine series? Also, had scratch smallpox vaccine as a child. Do you feel that I am protected against severe monkeypox? I am 75. Please address these questions. Thank you for all you have done to educate as all.
Polio, monkeypox and covid. It's difficult to sort out the ranking of these in triaging our public health dollars. Covid retains the greatest uncertainty in how it will develop, so perhaps the best strategy is to put most of our resources into quick responses immediately to hMPX and Polio to slow them down, in order to buy precious time to get ready for a catastrophic variant developing in Covid. Which is not unlikely unfortunately. Katelyn said "buckle up". So true! But where it might also be advised is in reaction to global warming which is a major driver of the spread of pathogens and vectors steadily northwards (think Zika for one). It's happening at a far faster rate than predicted and there is abundant evidence that abrupt climate crashes have occurred in the past. So preparing for a rapid change in the heat levels (and the disease implications,) the CDC should start modeling and right away. Time's running out.
I, too, would like to add to the requests for guidance for we Boomers, born in the late '40s and '50s, who received polio vaccines as children (undoubtedly the Salk vaccine). I was born in '53 and seem to recall receiving the shot annually for a number of years before the oral vaccine came out. What is our status vis-à-vis the current outbreak and the modern vaccine?
I wonder if it would be a good idea to add 1 dose of OPV (to be given after 3 doses of IPV) to our current polio vaccine strategy. It would decrease the likelihood of significant circulation of poliovirus in the community (as it would provide strong gut-level IgA immunity), without increasing the risk of paralysis.
Of course, the biggest problem we face is people not getting vaccinated at all. We need more community outreach, as well as tightening immunization laws. Walking around unvaccinated against disease like polio and measles (without a valid medical reason) should NOT be a legal option!
Regarding the Polio outbreak in NYC, this is where good public health policy can make an impact. Community engagement, stakeholder involvement, public education and meeting the community where they live, work, and play to provide mobile vaccination clinics would be the best approach to increase vaccination rates in Williamsburg and Bed-Sty
I’m an American born in 1974, and I’ve been assuming that all of us U.S.-born kids my age with normal, non-anti-vaxxer parents, who got all our shots, are fine with respect to polio. Is that still the case?
I remember lining up for polio injection in school around 1960 or early 60’s (born in ‘51). What I don’t remember (and I suspect many don’t) is having multiple injections. Do you know how many were given at that time? My mother (an RN, who had polio in the late 40s) had us fully vaccinated by standards of the time, but 60 years later, how protected are we? The priority should be vaccinating kids of course, but will there come a time when boosters will be recommended for old geezers like me?
I just received a summons to sit on a grand jury, so I'll be getting another shot shortly beforehand. This will be #7. Serving on a jury is a civic duty; getting Covid isn't, and there's plenty of vaccine to go around.
The BA5 decent sure look slow. Lots of moving parts, but could be a few months until we're back down to low levels of last Spring. Hopefully new booster, plus low levels, plus lots of folk with hybrid immunity will give a good run without another big surge.
My husband just received mono clonal antibodies (MAB) as a very high risk person with a new Covid infection. We were scheduled to get polio vaccinations 48 hours after the (MAB) in a limited time NYS clinic it took me a week to find. No physician will even discuss with us the factors that may be present with getting both in such a short time.
What should I be researching or considering? Thank you.
I know I had something in the early 1950’s ?? But at 79 years old I have no clue what or how much vaccine I received. Should I boost up or chase a repeat? I’d sure hate to burden my family with an easily preventable communicable disease.
Can you offer recommendations for timing and frequency of PCR and antigen testing for family visiting us - coming from LA to Palo Alto by car, staying in hotels, eating in restaurants. Thanks, in any case.
Please, please continue to emphasize masking. The threat of severe disease is still significant for some populations, and long Covid remains a real risk.
Katelyn, I had the Salk injection and the attenuated virus on the sugar cube as a child.. Do ypu feel that I am probably protected against paralysis, or do you feel that I should get the current polio vaccine series? Also, had scratch smallpox vaccine as a child. Do you feel that I am protected against severe monkeypox? I am 75. Please address these questions. Thank you for all you have done to educate as all.
Polio, monkeypox and covid. It's difficult to sort out the ranking of these in triaging our public health dollars. Covid retains the greatest uncertainty in how it will develop, so perhaps the best strategy is to put most of our resources into quick responses immediately to hMPX and Polio to slow them down, in order to buy precious time to get ready for a catastrophic variant developing in Covid. Which is not unlikely unfortunately. Katelyn said "buckle up". So true! But where it might also be advised is in reaction to global warming which is a major driver of the spread of pathogens and vectors steadily northwards (think Zika for one). It's happening at a far faster rate than predicted and there is abundant evidence that abrupt climate crashes have occurred in the past. So preparing for a rapid change in the heat levels (and the disease implications,) the CDC should start modeling and right away. Time's running out.
I, too, would like to add to the requests for guidance for we Boomers, born in the late '40s and '50s, who received polio vaccines as children (undoubtedly the Salk vaccine). I was born in '53 and seem to recall receiving the shot annually for a number of years before the oral vaccine came out. What is our status vis-à-vis the current outbreak and the modern vaccine?
I wonder if it would be a good idea to add 1 dose of OPV (to be given after 3 doses of IPV) to our current polio vaccine strategy. It would decrease the likelihood of significant circulation of poliovirus in the community (as it would provide strong gut-level IgA immunity), without increasing the risk of paralysis.
Of course, the biggest problem we face is people not getting vaccinated at all. We need more community outreach, as well as tightening immunization laws. Walking around unvaccinated against disease like polio and measles (without a valid medical reason) should NOT be a legal option!
Regarding the Polio outbreak in NYC, this is where good public health policy can make an impact. Community engagement, stakeholder involvement, public education and meeting the community where they live, work, and play to provide mobile vaccination clinics would be the best approach to increase vaccination rates in Williamsburg and Bed-Sty
There MIGHT be a few advances in relation to Long COVID:
https://www.science.org/content/article/blood-abnormalities-found-people-long-covid?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyLatestNews&utm_content=alert&et_rid=54806180&et_cid=4356990
and
https://www.augenklinik.uk-erlangen.de/aktuelles/nachrichten/detail/diagnose-und-therapie-von-me-cfs-was-laesst-sich-aus-long-covid-lernen/
which is related to
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-40-dr-bettina-hohberger-the-eye-and-bc007/id1574768076?i=1000569291555
I’m an American born in 1974, and I’ve been assuming that all of us U.S.-born kids my age with normal, non-anti-vaxxer parents, who got all our shots, are fine with respect to polio. Is that still the case?
I remember lining up for polio injection in school around 1960 or early 60’s (born in ‘51). What I don’t remember (and I suspect many don’t) is having multiple injections. Do you know how many were given at that time? My mother (an RN, who had polio in the late 40s) had us fully vaccinated by standards of the time, but 60 years later, how protected are we? The priority should be vaccinating kids of course, but will there come a time when boosters will be recommended for old geezers like me?
I just received a summons to sit on a grand jury, so I'll be getting another shot shortly beforehand. This will be #7. Serving on a jury is a civic duty; getting Covid isn't, and there's plenty of vaccine to go around.
Another good reason to get a polio booster - heterologous immunity against Covid!
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2021.710010/full
Here's an idea for how to pay for pandemics: parametric insurance, using wastewater surveillance to create an index.
https://content.naic.org/cipr-topics/parametric-disaster-insurance
The BA5 decent sure look slow. Lots of moving parts, but could be a few months until we're back down to low levels of last Spring. Hopefully new booster, plus low levels, plus lots of folk with hybrid immunity will give a good run without another big surge.
Dr Jetelina
My husband just received mono clonal antibodies (MAB) as a very high risk person with a new Covid infection. We were scheduled to get polio vaccinations 48 hours after the (MAB) in a limited time NYS clinic it took me a week to find. No physician will even discuss with us the factors that may be present with getting both in such a short time.
What should I be researching or considering? Thank you.
I know I had something in the early 1950’s ?? But at 79 years old I have no clue what or how much vaccine I received. Should I boost up or chase a repeat? I’d sure hate to burden my family with an easily preventable communicable disease.
Can you offer recommendations for timing and frequency of PCR and antigen testing for family visiting us - coming from LA to Palo Alto by car, staying in hotels, eating in restaurants. Thanks, in any case.