Meningococcal Vaccine: Protection, Risk, Schedule
New RSV Vaccine Distribution: Who's At The Top Of The List?
As fall approaches, so does respiratory syncytial virus or RSV season. This year, there are more options for those most susceptible to RSV, including a new vaccine and updated RSV vaccine guidance for seniors.
Carina Marquez, MD, associate professor of Medicine in the Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine at Zuckerberg San Francisco General, Peter Chin-Hong, MD, professor in the UCSF Health Division of Infectious Diseases and Theodore Ruel, MD, chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Global Health at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals, explain what we need to know about the RSV virus and vaccine.
What is RSV?RSV is a virus that can cause lung and respiratory tract infections such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Most RSV infections clear up by themselves in a couple of weeks, but, for some people at high risk, it can cause serious illness leading to hospitalization or death.
Who is most vulnerable to RSV?RSV spreads much like the common cold via droplets of saliva released into the air when sick people cough or sneeze. These droplets carry the virus, spreading it when they come in contact with our eyes, noses or mouths.
What are RSV's symptoms?RSV symptoms are like those of a cold: congestion, fever, cough, wheezing and a sore throat. In young babies, RSV's only signs may be difficulty breathing, irritability and decreased activity. Older adults and babies younger than 6 months may need to be hospitalized if they have trouble breathing, become dehydrated or their symptoms worsen.
What vaccines are available to protect against RSV?There are now three vaccines available for adults and one for those who are pregnant. This summer, the FDA approved Moderna's mRESVIA RSV vaccine for adults. Last year, the FDA approved Abrysvo (Pfizer) and Arexvy (GSK) to protect seniors from serious illness, and approved Abrysvo for pregnant women in their third trimester during the RSV season, to help safeguard newborns from the virus for up to 6 months. All three are single-shot vaccines.
Who should get vaccinated for RSV?This summer, the CDC altered its recommended guidance to 75 years for all seniors who have not yet been vaccinated. It still recommends that seniors 60 to 74 get vaccinated if they are immune compromised or have chronic medical conditions and have not yet been vaccinated.
Pregnant women in their last trimester should talk to their health care provider about whether the vaccination is right for them.
How often should adults get the vaccine?The RSV vaccine isn't needed annually like the flu vaccine, but only once.
What should I know about RSV prevention for infants?There is no vaccine approved for babies at this time, but there are ways to prevent them from getting very sick:
For adults, RSV vaccines show continued protection even two years after immunization. Based on this, the CDC recommends only one dose of the RSV vaccine for seniors right now, but this may change in the future.
In infants, we know that the vaccine given to those who are pregnant protects babies for their first 6 months of life – when they are most at risk for the virus. Beyfortus, the new monoclonal antibody injection, similarly reduces the risk of RSV in infants for about five months – or one RSV season.
Does the new RSV vaccine have any side effects?In adults, the most frequently reported side effects have been soreness at the injection site, muscle pain, fatigue, headache and joint pain. In the combined clinical trials of the vaccine, 20 out of more than 38,000 people who received the shot reported an abnormal heart rate about two weeks after vaccination. Eight people out of a similar number of folks in the trials who did not take the vaccine said the same. In addition, six people developed rare neurological complications.
Scientists are still figuring out if these irregular heartbeats or neurological complications were linked to the vaccine, but if you have concerns talk to your doctor. What is clear is that the benefit of being protected against RSV for many people far outweighs this possible risk because we don't have good therapies once people get seriously ill with RSV.
Can I take the RSV vaccine alongside flu or COVID-19 shots?Yes, it is safe to get all three vaccines at the same time. However, it is up to the individual to assess if they will have a reaction to the vaccinations based on their previous history of vaccines. There is no minimum waiting time between doses.
People 50 And Older Should Get Pneumococcal Vaccine, CDC Recommends
U.S. Health officials on Wednesday recommended that people 50 and older get a shot against bacteria that can cause pneumonia and other dangerous illnesses.
The recommendation was made by a scientific advisory panel and then accepted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The decision lowered — from 65 — the minimum recommended age for older adults to get the shot.
"Now is a great time to get vaccinated against pneumococcal disease in preparation for the winter respiratory season," CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said in a statement Wednesday night.
The advisory committee voted 14-1 to make the change during a meeting earlier in the day in Atlanta. The guidance is widely heeded by doctors and prompts health insurers to pay for recommended shots.
Pneumococcal shot recommendations are sometimes called the most complicated vaccination guidance that the government issues. The CDC currently recommends shots for children younger than 5 and adults 65 or older, as long as they have never been vaccinated against pneumococcal disease. Officials also recommend the shots for children and adults at increased risk for pneumococcal disease, such as those with diabetes, chronic liver disease or a weakened immune system.
There are more than 100 known types of pneumococci bacteria, which can cause serious infections in the lungs and other parts of the body. Each year, the U.S. Sees roughly 30,000 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease, which includes blood infections, brain and spine inflammation, pneumonia, meningitis and other illnesses. About 30% of cases are among 50- to 64-year-olds.
The first pneumococcal vaccine was licensed in the U.S. In 1977, and since then pharmaceutical companies have been coming up with newer versions that target a dozen or more types in a single shot. Different vaccines have fallen in and out of favor, including Pfizer's Prevnar 13, which was once a top-seller but is no longer available.
There are four vaccines now in use. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration this year approved the newest — Merck's Capvaxive, which can cost around $300 a dose and protects against 21 types, including eight not included in other pneumococcal vaccines. A Merck spokesperson said it was specifically designed to help protect against the bacteria types that cause the majority of severe disease in adults aged 50 and older.
The CDC advisory panel in June recommended the vaccine as an option for adults at higher risk. At the time, the committee also talked about the possibility of lowering the age recommendation for older adults. They noted that illness-causing infections peak at age 55 to 59 in Black Americans — a lower age than what's seen in white people. But the committee put off that decision until this week's meeting.
Some concerns: A booster shot may prove to be necessary, perhaps in about 15 years. And there are some new vaccines in development that could force another update to the recommendations.
"Pneumococcal has been a very confusing recommendation for many, many years and it's hard to have a new recommendation every two or three years," said Dr. Jamie Loehr, chair of the committee's pneumococcal working group. He was the only person to vote against the proposal.
New On Vaccine Checklist: Pneumonia Shot For Ages 50 And Up
This electron microscopic image provided by the Centers for Disease Control and prevention depicts two, round-shaped, Gram-positive, Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. (Janice Haney Carr/CDC via AP)The decision lowered from 65 the minimum recommended age for adults to get the shot.
Subscribe to continue reading this article. Already subscribed? To login in, click here.Originally Published: October 24, 2024 at 10:57 AM PST
Comments
Post a Comment