RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) – Virginia’s Vaccine Coordinator says the timeline for when you may need a COVID-19 booster could change.
“There is still some speculation that could come sooner. So, we’re really planning for a six-month scenario and an eight-month scenario,” said Dr. Danny Avula, Virginia Vaccine Coordinator.
Dr. Avula says that difference will make a big impact. With an eight-month window, the state health department estimates about 250,000 people will be eligible for a COVID-19 booster starting the week of Sept. 20. If that changes to six months, 1.3 million will be eligible.
“That’s going to be some strain on the system, and so we’re really eagerly awaiting what that recommendation from the White House is going to be,” said Dr. Avula.
Currently, the state hopes to handle boosters through pharmacies, private providers and some health department help. But if that booster shot window shrinks, we could see more mass clinics like at The Richmond Raceway and The Arthur Ashe Center.
“We are also looking at do we need to have a larger site, and we are talking with the state. We’re talking with our county and locality partners to say, what would a larger site look like and how soon could we stand that up,” said Dr. Melissa Virary, Richmond – Henrico Health Districts.
Preparing for boosters later this month, RHHD is standing up smaller vaccine clinics now to help with what is to come. Wednesday afternoon, health care workers at Eastern Henrico Recreation center offered Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines for those eligible.
A decision on six or eight months for boosters should be available by September 20.
Paul Plante says
CNBC
“Biden says U.S. health officials are considering Covid booster shots at 5 months, moving up timeline of third shot”
Rich Mendez
PUBLISHED FRI, AUG 27 2021
President Joe Biden said U.S. regulators are looking at administering Covid-19 booster shots five months after people finish their primary immunizations, moving up the expected timetable for a third shot by about three months.
Biden, who was speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Friday, said health officials were considering following that country’s lead on boosters.
“We’re considering the advice you’ve given that we should start earlier,” Biden said, adding that officials are debating whether the timeline should be shorter.
“Should it be as little as five months, and that’s being discussed.”
National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins last week said data released by Israel on the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines over time was prompting U.S. health leaders to rethink their position on vaccine booster shots.
Israel released new data on Aug. 16 showing a reduction in the effectiveness of Pfizer’s Covid vaccine against severe illness among people 65 and older who were fully vaccinated in January or February.
Later in the day, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki clarified Biden’s comments, saying that he would rely on officials at the CDC and FDA to make any changes to formal U.S. health guidance, which is currently that booster doses should be given after eight months.
“So I want to be very clear on that.”
“If they were to change their guidance based on data for any particular group, he would, of course, abide by that,” Psaki said at a press briefing Friday.
“But for people watching at home, for you all who are reporting out this nothing has changed about the eight-month timeline as it relates to the boosters.”
Distribution of the booster shots is expected to begin Sept. 20, pending final signoff by the Food and Drug Administration clearance and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Biden administration and vaccine manufacturers have indicated that there should be enough doses for any fully vaccinated adult seeking a third dose.
Paul Plante says
Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials
AUGUST 18, 2021
11:10 A.M. EDT
MR. ZIENTS: Good morning, and thank you for joining us.
Today, the main topic of our briefing is our plan for booster shots.
So I’ll turn to Drs. Murthy, Walensky, and Fauci in just a moment.
First, I want to provide a brief update on our fight against the virus.
We continue to see a rise in cases driven by the more transmissible Delta variant, with cases concentrated in communities with lower vaccination rates.
So this remains a pandemic of the unvaccinated.
MODERATOR: Thanks, Jeff.
And as a reminder, please keep your question to one question.
There are many today.
First, let’s go to Lev Facher at STAT News.
Q Hi, folks.
Thanks, as always, for doing the briefing.
This is a Mike Ryan quote from a WHO briefing earlier today about booster shots.
“If we think about this in terms of an analogy, we’re planning to hand out extra lifejackets to people who already have lifejackets.”
And I’m curious — I know you’ve emphasized — all of you — that this is a false choice: vaccinating Americans versus vaccinating the rest of the world.
But could you explain how there isn’t finite vaccine capacity and how booster shots for Americans does not, at this moment, come at the expense of first vaccine or second vaccine doses for folks elsewhere in the world?
SURGEON GENERAL MURTHY: Well, thanks, Jeff.
And, Lev, good to hear your question.
I appreciate it.
Look, I do not accept the idea that we have to choose between America and the world.
We clearly see our responsibility to both, and that we’ve got to do everything we can to protect people here at home while recognizing that clamping down the epidemic — the pandemic across the world and getting people vaccinated is going to be key to preventing the rise of future variants.
We know that.
We see that clearly.
And we believe we have to work on both fronts, as we have been.
But, Lev, when we see data that is giving us, essentially, indications that protection is starting to diminish — in terms of mild to moderate disease — when we recognize that if this trajectory continues, that people who are well protected today may see more vulnerability in the future, we have to act.
The science tells us that, our clinical judgment tells us that, and that was the collective decision of the top public health and medical experts in this administration.
MR. ZIENTS: Next question, please.
MODERATOR: Weijia, at CBS.
Q Hi, thanks so much for taking my question.
If — it sounds like effectiveness begins to wane sooner than eight months.
And please correct me if I’m wrong.
So, if the supply is not an issue, can you walk us through the science of how you landed on eight months, please?
Thanks.
DR. MURTHY: Sure.
So, thank you, Weijia, for that — for that question.
So, let me talk you through how we were looking at this.
We did see that around the six-month mark in the data, you start to see increases in mild-to-moderate infection.
But our anticipation is that if the trajectory that we are seeing continues, then we will likely see, in the future, an increase in breakthrough hospitalizations and breakthrough deaths.
And that’s why we used our judgement, Weijia, to see when to make a determination of what that point may be, and that’s how we came to the eight-month mark.
I want to be clear, though, there is — there’s nothing magical about this number.
Could it have been one week earlier, one week later?
This is where judgment comes in, and it’s why we’ve put so much time and thought into this decision, and why we pulled the best public health and medical minds from together around the department to look at the data and discuss it a number of times, and then, ultimately, to come to that determination.
We put the best minds together in the administration, and we looked at the best data that we had.
end quotes
The “best minds” in the Biden administration, the same “best minds” that blew Afghanistan big time?
God help us, we seriously need it!
Paul Plante says
CBS NEWS
“Fauci says Moderna boosters might not be ready by September 20”
Melissa Quinn
6 SEPTEMBER 2021
Washington — Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Biden, said Sunday that booster shots for Americans who received Moderna’s two-dose COVID-19 vaccine may not be ready by September 20, when the Biden administration said it will begin to roll out the extra shots for vaccinated adults.
While Pfizer has submitted data to federal officials, there is insufficient data from Moderna on safety and efficacy, Fauci said.
He also said studies are underway about whether Americans could mix the vaccines — getting two doses of Pfizer and one of Moderna, or vice versa — and hopes data will be available “within a reasonable period of time, measured in a couple of weeks.”
“But right now, we are suggesting and hopefully it will work out that way, that if you got Pfizer, you will then boost with Pfizer.”
“If you get Moderna, you’ll be boosting with Moderna,” Fauci said.
“But we are doing the studies to determine if we can do just that: Switch one with the other.”
Paul Plante says
Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials
AUGUST 18, 2021
11:10 A.M. EDT
SURGEON GENERAL MURTHY: I also just want to underscore one thing, to your question, about the last five days and our message.
I want to be very clear that what we have said before, which is still true today, is we do not believe that the general population needs booster shots today.
That was true yesterday.
It was true five days ago.
It was true a few — a few weeks ago.
We are announcing a plan for the future, and that’s extremely important.
We want people to understand that this is a plan for the future, and it’s based on an assessment of data, including recent data that we have just come across in — over the last few days.
Paul Plante says
Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Jen Psaki En Route Queens, New York
SEPTEMBER 07, 2021
Aboard Air Force One
En Route Queens, NY
10:35 A.M. EDT
MS. PSAKI: Good morning, everyone.
I also wanted to note — I know we sent a note out to the pool, but just to make it more official here — on Thursday, the President will speak to the American people about his robust plan to stop the spread of the Delta variant and boost vaccinations.
As he has said since day one, his administration will pull every lever to get the pandemic under control.
And, on Thursday, he will lay out a six-pronged strategy that will help us to do just that, working across the public and private sectors to help continue to get the pandemic under control.
We’ll have more to preview on that, I would expect, in the coming days.
With that, let’s get to your questions.
MS. PSAKI: Yep.
Q Will he take Israel’s advice and start boosters early — earlier or sooner?
MS. PSAKI: Well, we base — we’ll base our timeline on boosters on the advice and counsel of our own FDA and CDC.
We — the announcement that was made several weeks ago was made by the leaders of our own health organizations here in the United States.
Right now, we are looking forward to implementing what we announced a couple of weeks ago, later this month.
So we’ll base it on our own — our own health advisors here in the United States.
Q Should we expect any kind of new mandates in his speech on Thursday on COVID-19, related to vaccines?
MS. PSAKI: I certainly understand the interest.
We don’t have anything to preview quite yet.
I will note that we’ve seen that there are a range of ways that we have increased vaccinations across the country — or vaccinations have increased, I should say.
One of them is private sector companies mandating, in different capacities, that their employees get vaccinated, or certain school districts mandate.
Another is certainly fear of the Delta variant.
And we need to continue to take more steps to make sure school districts are prepared and make sure communities across the country are prepared.
So, again, the President will lay out a six-step plan on Thursday.
We’ll be finalizing that over the coming days, and we’ll have more preview as we get closer.
Q Just to be clear, is the understanding still that the federal government cannot mandate vaccines in a broad manner?
MS. PSAKI: Around — in the United States of America?
Yes, that’s — that’s true.
Paul Plante says
Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials
AUGUST 18, 2021
11:10 A.M. EDT
MR. ZIENTS: Next question.
MODERATOR: Last question.
Let’s go to Shannon Pettypiece at NBC.
Q Okay.
I just wanted to find out — and I think, maybe, you answered this a bit — but why are you sort of skipping the typical FDA review process?
I know you’re saying this is pending FDA review, but not — why not wait until the FDA has reviewed the safety, the efficacy, and we’ve gotten that Advisory Committee recommendation?
And are you worried at all about adding to vaccine hesitancy by trying to get ahead of that by making this announcement now?
MR. ZIENTS: Dr. Murthy.
SURGEON GENERAL MURTHY: Well, I’m glad — I’m glad you asked that question.
And I want to be very clear: We are not skipping the very important FDA and ACIP process here.
They have an incredibly important role to play in evaluating safety and making recommendations for vaccines.
We respect that, we honor that, and that will be a part of this process as well.
But the reason that we are not waiting for many more weeks to announce this — and it falls into two — two buckets — one is transparency.
We have told the public: When we see a signal in the data, we will tell them about when we are concerned, when we think boosters may be required down the line.
And we are fulfilling that promise today.
The second reason is we also want to ensure that people and states and localities and the public more broadly can plan.
You can’t turn on a booster effort, you know, with a flip of a switch.
You know, you have to lay the groundwork.
We’ve got to make sure people understand this, that we communicate often about it, and so on.
When we’re ready to go and start offering boosters, everybody understands what has to be done and who needs to be boosted.
And that is why we are announcing this plan in advance today.
Paul Plante says
Are there really people out there who think or believe that these clowns have any idea what they are doing?
Are there going to be boosters?
Or aren’t there?
Right now, it appears the answer to both questions is in the affirmative.
Paul Plante says
And right after Jen Psaki, who said the Buden-istas are dealing with a “reality world,” which is good to hear, said the federal government cannot mandate vaccines, according to the Boston Globe just now, the old fool Joe Biden is going to mandate vaccines because the law doesn’t apply to Joe Biden, nor does the Constitution:
BREAKING NEWS ALERT
President Biden on Thursday is announcing sweeping new federal vaccine requirements affecting as many as 100 million Americans in an all-out effort to increase COVID-19 vaccinations and curb the surging Delta variant.
The expansive rules mandate that all employers with more than 100 workers require them to be vaccinated or test for the virus weekly, affecting about 80 million Americans.
And the roughly 17 million workers at health facilities that receive federal Medicare or Medicaid also will have to be fully vaccinated.
Paul Plante says
And meanwhile, back in “reality world” as Biden mouthpiece Jen Psaki calls it, while the goofball Joe Biden, like the Wizard of Oz before him, furiously pulls on every lever there is to get the pandemic under control, we have “reality world” intruding on the dream state in LA LA LAND where Joe spends all his time like a lotus eater, to wit:
CNBC
“WHO says Covid will mutate like the flu and is likely here to stay”
Rich Mendez @RICHMENDEZCNBC
PUBLISHED TUE, SEP 7 2021
“I think this virus is here to stay with us and it will evolve like influenza pandemic viruses, it will evolve to become one of the other viruses that affects us,” Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization’s Health Emergencies Program, said at a press briefing.
Officials at the global health agency have previously said vaccines do not guarantee the world would eradicate Covid-19 like it has other viruses.
Several leading health experts, including White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci and Stephane Bancel, CEO of Covid vaccine maker Moderna, have warned that the world will have to live with Covid forever, much like influenza.
“People have said we’re going to eliminate or eradicate the virus,” Ryan said.
“No we’re not, very, very unlikely.”
Paul Plante says
We have a dangerous lunatic on the loose in Washington, D.C. and his name is Joe Biden:
REUTERS
“Attacking anti-vaxxers, Biden mandates widespread COVID shots, tests”
By Jeff Mason, David Shepardson, Ahmed Aboulenein
SEPTEMBER 9, 2021
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden on Thursday took aim at vaccine resistance in America, announcing policies requiring most federal employees to get COVID-19 vaccines and pushing large employers to have their workers vaccinated or tested weekly.
“We’ve been patient,” Biden told the millions of Americans who have declined to get coronavirus shots.
“But our patience is wearing thin, and your refusal has cost all of us.”
end quotes
To which I can only say go to hell, Joe, because you’re an idiot!
Who wants to be ordered to put some experimental **** in their body because a senile old fool in Washington orders them to?
And this is all political, as we can see by going back to that article, as follows:
The surge has posed increased risk not just to the country but also to a president who ran on promises to get control over the virus and who earlier this year said the country was “closer than ever to declaring our independence from a deadly virus.”
end quotes
Yes, people, the goofball made all kinds of outlandish promises based on his impression of himself as a “world leader,” when in fact he is far from that, which again takes us back to Reuters, as follows:
Previously Biden, a Democrat, required federal employees be vaccinated or get tested.
Now federal workers have 75 days to get vaccinated, or face termination unless they fall into limited exemption categories.
end quotes
Now, that is going to be interesting as Joe starts firing federal employees who think he is a fool who is hysterical and doesn’t know what he is talking about.
Getting back to Reuters:
SUBSTANTIAL FINES
The U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will issue its rule for private companies to require vaccines or tests in coming weeks.
OSHA plans to take enforcement actions against those that did not comply, with substantial fines of nearly $14,000 per violation.
The full recovery of the U.S economy depends on blunting the spread of the virus, which is a key health and political goal of the president, who entered the White House in January.
The White House plans to offer booster shots providing additional protection to those who are fully vaccinated.
That goes against arguments from the World Health Organization and other advocates that say with global vaccine supplies limited, rich countries should pause booster programs until more people worldwide are inoculated.
The White House said the federal government cannot mandate vaccines nationwide, but it has encouraged school districts, businesses and other entities to require shots.
Paul Plante says
So who does the State of Virginia think is going to get the first booster shots?
Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials
AUGUST 18, 2021
11:10 A.M. EDT
MODERATOR: Last question.
Let’s go to Shannon Pettypiece at NBC.
Q Okay.
I just wanted to find out — and I think, maybe, you answered this a bit — but why are you sort of skipping the typical FDA review process?
I know you’re saying this is pending FDA review, but not — why not wait until the FDA has reviewed the safety, the efficacy, and we’ve gotten that Advisory Committee recommendation?
MR. ZIENTS: Dr. Murthy.
SURGEON GENERAL MURTHY: Well, I’m glad — I’m glad you asked that question.
And I want to be very clear: We are not skipping the very important FDA and ACIP process here.
DR. WALENSKY: Maybe I’ll just add that we are very much following what ACIP provided.
Because they initially advised us on who should be getting vaccinated first, and it is those people who will be — the long-term care facilities, healthcare workers, vulnerable populations — it is those people who will be first eligible again.