When the delta variant began to spread, Gina Welch decided not to take the risk: she received a third booster dose Coronavirus disease Go to the clinic and tell them that this is her first shot.
The US government has not yet approved the booster injections against the virus, saying it has not seen evidence that they are necessary. But Welch and countless other Americans managed to obtain them by taking advantage of the country’s surplus of vaccines and loose tracking of people who have been fully vaccinated.
Welch, a graduate student from Maine who is studying chemical engineering, said that she has been paying close attention to scientific research on COVID-19 and following several virologists and epidemiologists on social media who advocate the use of boosters. .
Quebecers can get the third COVID vaccine at their own risk and travel to countries where they need to be vaccinated
“I want to follow these experts, I want to protect myself,” said Welch, 26, who suffers from asthma and liver disease. “I won’t wait another six months to a year for them to recommend the third dose.”
Although Pfizer said it plans to seek approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for booster injections, health authorities said that currently, people who are fully vaccinated appear to be well protected.
However, an Associated Press review of the system’s data found that health care providers in the United States have reported more than 900 cases of people receiving the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in a database run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Because the report is voluntary, the full range of people receiving the third dose is unknown. I don’t know if all these people are actively trying to get the third dose as a booster.
Claire Hannan, executive director of the Immunization Managers Association, said, “I don’t think anyone is really tracking it” to understand its spread.
An entry in the CDC database shows that a 52-year-old man received a third dose from a California pharmacy on July 14. He said he had never received it and provided his passport instead of his driver’s license as proof of identity . But when the pharmacy contacted the patient’s insurance provider, it was told that he had received two doses in March.
In Virginia, on April 27, a 39-year-old man received a third injection from a military provider after showing a vaccination card indicating that he had received only one dose of the vaccine. A review of the records revealed his previous vaccine. The patient then told the provider that the time between his first and second dose was more than 21 days, “so they talked to the provider and they’authorized’ them to receive the third injection,” one entry said.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis said at a recent press conference that he was aware of residents who had received a third dose of the vaccine under a pseudonym, but neither his office nor the state health department could provide any evidence.
Despite the lack of FDA approval, public health officials in San Francisco said on Tuesday that they will provide additional doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines to people who receive a single shot of Johnson & Johnson — calling them supplements, not boosters.
Moderna said that as the research continues, COVID-19 injections may need to be strengthened in winter
Several studies are studying booster injections for certain high-risk groups-people with weakened immune systems, adults over 60, and health care workers. However, Dr. Michelle Barron, senior medical director for infection prevention at UCHealth, a nonprofit healthcare system in Aurora, Colorado, said that conclusions about whether the general population needs them remain. She said the best data to support possible boosters is for people with compromised immune systems.
Israel is providing boosters for the elderly, and several countries including Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom have approved boosters for certain people. The head of the World Health Organization recently urged richer countries to stop booster injections to ensure that other countries where few people get the first shot can also get the vaccine.
Will Clart, a 67-year-old patient service employee at a Missouri hospital, went to the local pharmacy to get the third dose in May. Kratt said he provided all his information to the pharmacist, but the pharmacist didn’t realize that Kratt’s name appeared in the vaccine system until after the vaccine was given.
“It sounds like it’s good. Someone else said we need a booster in the end — mine is five or six months old, so I think I will continue, which will give me a booster,” Clatt said.
Political cartoonist Ted Rall explained in a column in the Wall Street Journal that he accepted because of lung problems (including asthma, swine flu, and recurrent episodes of bronchitis and pneumonia). Booster treatment.
“I made up my mind after reading a report that due to low demand, states may throw away 26.2 million doses of unused drugs. My decision has no impact on policy, and I saved a dose of vaccine from the trash,” Lahr said .
Welch, a graduate student from Maine, attributed the blame to those who refused to be vaccinated for political reasons. In the United States, approximately 60% of eligible people have been vaccinated.
“Their absolute demands and screams for freedom are trampling on our public health and our public health.”
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Nieberg is a member of the Legion of Associated Press/U.S. State Assembly News Initiative Report. Report for America is a non-profit national service program that allows reporters to report unreported issues in local newsrooms.
© 2021 Canadian Press
