43 Comments

Dear Dr. Jetelina,

I am an avid reader of your blog from Germany and I have a question: I am considering the possibility of receiving a COVID-19 booster twice a year to minimize my risk of symptomatic infection, even though I am „only“45 years old and generally healthy. My thinking is that there is a risk of Long Covid after every infection, while the vaccine is generally safe and provides some protection against symptomatic infection, albeit for only a few months or so.

If these assumptions are true, it would follow that receiving Covid boosters every 6 month or so could be a viable strategy to minimize Long Covid risk. Also, thanks to socialised medicine, I get my Covid boosters for free, as many times as I like. Does my thinking make sense – generally speaking for "youngish" people?

I appreciate your work very much.

Kind regards

Michael

Germany

Expand full comment

Long Covid is a concern of mine as well. I would be interested in this answer even though I'm an American who is only able to receive one shot per year. Thanks!

Expand full comment

Where is the H5N1 infected pig?

Expand full comment
Nov 1Liked by Katelyn Jetelina

Thanks for including the H5N1 update about the pig infection. I actually saw coverage of it on my *local* news here in San Diego.

Expand full comment
author

San Diego represent! :)

Expand full comment

Thank you so much for this wonderful weather report. I am an associate director of a community choir and having good, scientifically based, accurate information for us is essential. Singing is wonderful for your health overall, but it's also one of the most dangerous things to do when airborne diseases are rampant so you're just a lifesaver to our little organization. We thank you so much for your work!

Expand full comment
Nov 1Liked by Katelyn Jetelina

Great newsletter (as always). Thank you for the science and your compassion.

Expand full comment
Nov 1Liked by Katelyn Jetelina

Thanks for the information about the CUNY study. I just emailed them.

Expand full comment
author

They will be thrilled!

Expand full comment
founding
Nov 1·edited Nov 1

Thank you for this good summary/update re Pneumococcal vaccines. Two questions: (1) In your info re coverage of strains by various vaccines, PPSV23 (the only one that I've received) is not mentioned. Could you address this? (2) Your updated chart is very helpful, but I'm looking for more details. CDC is shown as the source, but there's no link. Could you provide a *link* to the appropriate CDC webpage? I could find *something* relating to vaccines on the CDC's website, but given the CDC website's less-than-perfect organization, I'm not certain that I'd find the particular webpage that is your source. Thanks again!

Expand full comment
author

Thanks for your wonderful questions. It's really confusing. The PPSV23 is at the bottom of the chart (at the very bottom row). Here is a link of the current recommendations from CDC that may provide more context for you. https://www.cdc.gov/pneumococcal/hcp/vaccine-recommendations/index.html

Expand full comment
founding
Nov 1·edited Nov 1

Thank you. To clarify, my question re PPSV23 concerned your bullet points introduced by the statement, "This has generated a variety of options." PPSV23 is not listed in those bullet points. Thanks for the link and for all of your great work!

Expand full comment
founding

I absolutely love the weekly weather report! It helps inform my decisions regarding wearing a mask. Thank you so much! My only concern is that as we approach a wave, different parts of the country will have a different forecast. It would be ideal if we could get weather forecasts for various areas of the country, especially for Covid. Thanks for taking the time to consider this.

Expand full comment
author

Absolutely. Once things start heating up again, I will start my State of Affairs again which will dive into the different regions. My goal is also to have a YLE at each state (eventually!) If you're in New York, we already have one which is diving deep into trends for New Yorkers. https://www.yourlocalepidemiologist.co/offshoot/new-york

Expand full comment
founding

Wonderful! Thank you so much! I am so grateful to you for your work on this!

Expand full comment

Thanks for the information on pneumococcal vaccines for over 65!

Expand full comment
founding

Specifically, the booster info.

Expand full comment

Thanks for all you do! Just FYI infants now receive the PCV 20 vaccine (updated in the past year from PCV 13). Sincerely, a pediatrician.

Expand full comment
author

Ohhh thank you! Editing now

Expand full comment

It appears the researchers at CUNY expect all their subjects to have smart phones. My wife and I do not, along with about a third of seniors and disabled folks. So what's "smart" about that?

Expand full comment

I reached to the researchers at CUNY and received the following response: "We communicate with our participants either by email or text messages. If you prefer to do so by email, that is totally fine and will not make you ineligible for our study!" :-)

Expand full comment

And DJT is promising to give that Kennedy person authority over all the health related government agencies. And Elon is going to destroy the economy. We. Are. Doomed.

Expand full comment

We're NOT doomed if he loses! Please help get out the vote!

Expand full comment

I already see combination at-home tests for Covid/Flu A+B for sale on Amazon by companies like iHealth. Are those not FDA approved?

Expand full comment
author

There is only one approved by FDA. I covered this in a previous The Dose: "In related news, FDA authorized the first Covid/flu combo test outside of emergency use (Healgen Rapid Check COVID-19/Flu A&B Antigen Test)." You can find the link embedded right under the Weather Report https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/the-dose-this-weeks-public-health-17a

Expand full comment

Dear Dr. Jetelina,

I read your article about RFK Jr and his MAHA agenda several weeks ago. I can't find that issue at this point so I'm reaching out on this thread. I share your concerns about RFK Jr in general and his MAHA plan in particular. I did wonder about your assertion that there are no proven benefits for organic foods. This is an older article from 2018 but it suggests that there are benefits in cancer reduction (up to a 25% reduction) Baudry, Julia et al., “Association of Frequency of Organic Food Consumption With Cancer Risk,” JAMA Internal Medicine, 2018, 178:12, 1597-1606. I also choose organic foods for myself to decrease pesticide exposure for agricultural workers and soil health. I don't recommend organic foods in general because choosing organic is cost prohibitive for many people. There are so many improvements to overall nutrition that can be made without the added price of organic foods. Those that stand out are food security, decreasing sugary beverages, junk foods and fried, fatty foods and increasing consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. Would you comment on the article mentioned above.

Thank you for all that you do to help us sort through our information rich environment that comes with a hefty dose of mis and disinformation.

Sincerely,

Karen

Bend, OR

Expand full comment

I share the desire to avoid pesticide consumption, and have not yet read the JAMA article, but wonder at "association". Association is interesting, but does not by itself indicate cause and effect. I believe it is very difficult to tease out in studies with those who eat organically as they generally have numerous other healthy habits! Was an effort made to control for that do you know in this particular study?

Expand full comment

From Conclusions and relevance: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30422212/

" A higher frequency of organic food consumption was associated with a reduced risk of cancer. If these findings are confirmed, further research is necessary to determine the underlying factors involved in this association."

Expand full comment

Thank you!

Expand full comment

Dr. Jetelina,

I was confused by the presentation of the pneumonia vaccines. Did the second column imply that if one had received the vaccine from col. 1 then one year or more later one should receive another (different one?) what was the meaning of the different options (A or B)? Was one preferable? In the list of my previous vaccinations, I received Pneumococcal Polysaccahride in 2012 and then Pneumococcal Conjugate 13-Valent exactly a year later in 2013. How do these correspond to the ones on the list, and, more importantly, do I need to follow up now with one on the list, and if so, which one?

Im sure many of your readers would benefit from some clarification here.

Expand full comment

YLE, this question is a little bit “out there” but here goes. I enjoy watching the Polar Bear clubs where peeps of all ages, men and women, take a dip into ice cold water during the middle of winter. They do this in Scandinavia too, usually accompanied with a hot suana (and perhaps a shot of vodka). Does this have a positive effect on the immune system? When I was a kid back in the 1950s, my mom would let me play in the cold in light clothes for a while to “get used to it” and strengthen my resistance to catching a cold. Several other kids of my generation had the same experience. I’ve had a lot of colds since then, but it seems like a lot fewer than most. Perhaps it’s just plain old fresh air.

Expand full comment
author

This isn’t out there at all!! Good question, I actually wrote about it last year. Scroll down and you can find out about ice baths https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/how-to-and-not-to-boost-your-immune?utm_source=publication-search

Expand full comment

I reached to the researchers at CUNY and received the following response: "We communicate with our participants either by email or text messages. If you prefer to do so by email, that is totally fine and will not make you ineligible for our study!" :-)

Expand full comment