BY – Blessing Jonathan
A new covid vaccine is set to be introduced from September, 2023. This is a proactive measure to curb the spread of the newly discovered Covid-19 variant, Eris, which has already become the dominant lineage of corona virus in the United State recently.
A report from Centre for Disease Control and Prevention states that Eris, an Omicron sub-variant, is the leading version of the covid and makes up about 17% of the virus cases in the US. Its rise in the atmosphere, like a wild fire, is responsible for the massive record of covid patient’s hospitalization, across the State.
Although the numbers are nothing compared to the hospitalizations in 2020 and do not require social distancing and nose masking.
The World Health Organization (WHO), has said; “The amount of virus identified in wastewater around the country and the number of weekly prescriptions for COVID treatment Paxlovid have all risen significantly over the past month, albeit from low levels.”
WHO further advised that EG.5 “should be more closely watched than others because of mutations that might make it more contagious or severe.”
Health experts reports that the emergence of the new variant; EG.5, is a reminder of the need for greater surveillance of the virus and of the importance of vaccine boosters.
Meanwhile, Kaiser Family Foundation Director of Survey Methodology Ashley Kirzinger admonished that ‘Healthcare providers and pharmacies such as CVS Health, will begin from September, to offer the vaccine to individuals.
“They will be fighting declining concern about the virus, as well as fatigue and skepticism about the merits of this vaccine.
“Public health officials, if they want to see a majority of adults get these annual vaccines, they’re going to have to make the case to the American public that COVID isn’t over and it still poses a risk to them,” Kirzinger said.
An Epidemiologist and Director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University School of Public Health, Jennifer Nuzzo said it’s very likely that Eris is a replacement of the virus that came before in November 2022, although the scope of the virus is yet to be discerned as a result of limited surveillance.
“As this virus continues to circulate, the potential for mutations to occur remains, and so we will see new genetic variants.
“It’s very often the case when we see new genetic variants that they may increase in circulation. Sometimes they replace the variants that came before; sometimes they just kind of burn themselves out.
“Still, the exact scope of the virus is difficult to discern because of the limited surveillance measure.
“Individuals, particularly those who are more vulnerable to the virus, should continue to monitor virus data. And people should also take a Covid test if they are sick,” Nuzzo advised.
Doctors has individually advised that annual shots of the vaccine be administered more to the elderly and other high risk people, who are most likely to have dire outcomes if they catch COVID-19, although this would cause a drop in the demand for the vaccine.
According to Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases specialist at Vanderbilt University and a liaison to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization practices, ACIP could make a weaker recommendation for younger, healthier people. That could also affect demand.
“Should the average person with no underlying illness who is a younger adult receive this vaccine or should this vaccine now be a more targeted vaccine?”Schaffner said.
The CDC recommended children get a single dose of last year’s updated vaccine for those aged 6 and older.
Another medical personnel, Dr. David Boulware, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Minnesota, said a research he had published, revealed that people who are boosted have less severe symptoms for a shorter duration.
“When you look at what you can do to reduce your duration of illness, even if you do get sick, being boosted is going to be the best way to do that,” he said.
The vaccine markers have partnered with Pfizer (PFE.N)/BioNTech SE (22UAy.DE), Moderna (MRNA.O) and Novavax (NVAX.O) to produce abs distribute the new vaccine for Eris. The medical companies have all created new versions of their vaccines updated to target another Omicron sublineage – XBB.1.5 – to better mirror the diverse circulating variations of the virus. The vaccine is said to be pushed out by third week of September.
The vaccine is anticipated to be distributed by the third week of September.