Your ultimate guide to proper hand washing
When people ask how to protect themselves from the spread of COVID-19, one of the first pieces of advice doctors give is to wash your hands. Here are the do’s and don’ts.
Anyone wanting to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in August may have to wait in frustration at their local pharmacy.
Pharmacists in Redding and across the U.S. reported that supplies of the current vaccine are running low while they await delivery of the updated COVID vaccine cocktail that targets newer variants.
The good news is that the Food and Drug Administration could soon approve the use of the updated vaccines, allowing them to begin shipping doses to pharmacy chains.
The timing of the new COVID-19 vaccines largely aligns with annual flu shots, which are rolled out in the fall to protect against severe illness when flu peaks in the winter, health officials said. But those most familiar with the disease say treating COVID-19 like the flu is a major disadvantage. Using a seasonal cycle means the updated COVID-19 shots won’t be available to protect consumers when infections spike in August, when schools open.
According to Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, this timing is not optimal. COVID-19 is “like a camel with two humps,” he said. “COVID never goes away like the flu, and we always have a spike in the summer, then it goes down a bit in the fall, and then we have a much bigger spike in the winter.”
COVID cases in Shasta and Tehama counties
While case numbers are rising sharply across the country in August, there is good news for Shasta County, Health and Human Services epidemiologists said: “Based on test results from four wastewater samples from Shasta County, it appears that COVID cases have declined since August 8.”
“The current rate at which COVID-19 is spreading is 0.89. Since it is below 1, the spread of COVID-19 in the county is likely decreasing,” said Amy Koslosky, HHSA senior community education specialist.
But a week after schools reopened in Shasta County, it is possible that case numbers will soon rise again. The risk of the virus spreading increases “when people from different households mix,” the state health department said.
Other parts of the northern part of the state are not as lucky as Shasta. The Tehama County Health Department announced on August 19 that the number of COVID-19 cases there is increasing.
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Where to get a COVID booster shot now in Shasta County
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced in June that their doctors recommend that most people get the updated 2024-2025 COVID and flu vaccines to reduce their risk of developing those illnesses in the fall and winter.
Some pharmacies in Redding, including the Walgreens pharmacy on the corner of Lake Boulevard and Hilltop Drive, reported that they were already out of vaccine doses due to the wait for the new vaccine.
But as of Aug. 21, the CVS at 1060 East Cypress Ave. had COVID vaccines in stock for 2023-2024, employees said.
The HHSA’s vaccination clinic at 2650 Breslauer Way also has doses available through the county’s Bridge Access Program and Vaccines for Children. “These vaccines expire at the end of August,” Koslosky said. For more information, call 530-225-5591.
New vaccines will come onto the market in autumn
Although the number of COVID hospitalizations and deaths is nowhere near the level seen at the beginning of the pandemic, infections still pose serious risks for many people.
Elsewhere in the country, COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths have increased in recent weeks, according to the CDC. Nine southeastern states reported moderate hospitalizations. In parts of the Midwest, cases are rising. In Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Tuesday that he had COVID-19, just as the state is experiencing a summer surge in cases.
Because testing doesn’t catch all cases and not everyone who takes a home test reports their results, health officials are also tracking the spread of COVID-19 through wastewater testing. By that measure, viral loads are “very high” in 32 states and the District of Colombia, the CDC said.
Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are awaiting FDA approval of their updated mRNA vaccines that target the circulating variants. Novavax’s protein-based vaccines offer consumers a non-mRNA alternative, which could be of interest to those who don’t like those vaccines or who experience side effects from them.
The FDA says it is prohibited from disclosing the timing of approvals, but it expects to “approve or authorize updated COVID-19 vaccines to make vaccines available this fall,” said FDA spokeswoman Carly Pflaum.
In June, a federal advisory panel recommended that vaccine makers develop a new vaccine cocktail targeting the JN.1 COVID mutation circulating this year. Current vaccines are designed to resist XBB.1.5 but do not provide as good protection against JN.1 and subvariants responsible for the surge this summer.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government purchased and distributed vaccines. But as the public health emergency ended, a market-driven approach was introduced. Vaccine manufacturers had to anticipate demand, and pharmacies purchased vaccines based on what they thought customers would want.
Although the CDC recommends that everyone age 6 months and older receive a booster shot, as of mid-May, only 22.5% of adults and 14.4% of children had received a booster shot.
Consumers complained on social media about how difficult it was for them to find the right boosters as they prepared for weddings and other social events in late summer.
According to experts, the timing of your booster vaccination is crucial.
Dr. Paul Offit, an infectious disease and vaccine expert who directs the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said the vaccine’s effectiveness begins to wane after four to six months. People who get the updated vaccine this fall should be adequately protected through the winter. Some may choose to get another shot before summer to extend their protection, Offit said.
Jessica Skropanic is a reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and further on facebook.. Join Jessica in the Out! Still Cal Recovery Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, Please subscribe today. Thank you.
