|
Dear Friends:
Bivalent COVID vaccines are now being distributed around the nation, and health authorities are encouraging people 12 and older to get a fall booster with the new shots.
Wait, slow down. What's a "bivalent vaccine"?
Simply put, it's a vaccine that protects against two forms of disease. In this case, that's the original strain of COVID and its Omicron variant.1
Why is that important?
Again, simply put, two is better than one! The new boosters offer broader protection in fewer doses—the hope is one per year, in the same way that people get a flu shot every fall.
Should I get the new shot?
Oh my, yes! (You should get a flu shot too.)
Unless, that is, you're just getting over a case of COVID, or if you've received a booster in the past two months. In that case, it's better to wait a little while. But for most people, a periodic booster is the best way to protect themselves and loved ones from severe illness and hospitalization. That's particularly important if you're over 50 or immunocompromised.
Is there a "but" coming here?
Not about the new boosters, no. You absolutely should get one as soon as you can. On a social level, however, things are a bit more complicated. You absolutely should not take the release of these new boosters as a sign that things are "getting back to normal" yet.
For one thing, flu is a lot more predictable than COVID at this point. It comes around on a regular schedule, it changes in predictable ways, and it's been around for a very long time, which helps us keep an eye out for new variants.
For another, there are still many people who have not received a first dose of COVID vaccine, much less a booster. And scientists still aren't sure how long the protection offered by a booster dose lasts, in large part because they haven't had the chance to study COVID boosters in the same way they have influenza vaccines.
None of this not a reason to skip a booster: some length of protection is better than none. But it is to say that we're not anywhere near having COVID be just like the flu. God willing, we'll get there someday, but it's not today.
So what do we need to do?
Katelyn Jetelina argues that we need to up our vaccine game to finally "normalize" COVID, including vaccines that work on mucosal tissues, against all coronaviruses, or in combining protection against both flu and COVID.
I would add that we need to keep up the same precautions that we've been practicing for what seems like forever:
- Avoid crowds
- Wear a mask in areas of high transmission or if you've been exposed to someone with COVID
- Stay home if you've tested positive or even if you're just not feeling well.
The desire to get back to a post-crisis "normal" life is understandable. The way we get to that point, though, is to accept that "normal" comes along with some unfamiliar routines. That includes getting a regular booster and working to slow the spread of COVID as best we can. The good news is, we can do it.
Stay safe and stay together,
Rev. Daniel Schultz
Community Health Program Director
1This isn't a scientific breakthrough, exactly. We've long had multivalent vaccines for diseases like hepatitis, HPV, polio, or the flu.
| 
