🦠 F.D.A. Panel Sidon Say Vaccine Makers Gats Target Only One Covid Variant
Wahala land today as di Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.) panel advise vaccine makers say make dem focus on only one Covid variant. Dem say e good make vaccine target dis XBB variant wey dey reign di virus dis fall instead of di existing formula wey protect against Omicron variant and early virus form.
Di 21-member panel, wey reason di mata well-well, come yarn say manufacturers gats target di most powerful variant of dis Covid virus for di summer. If di F.D.A. fit agree, e go make dem begin produce millions of shots wey go dey available.
Before before, dem bin talk say dem want make dem do vaccine for dis coronavirus every year. But as e be today, di discussion no include any kain timetable on how often adults suppose receive new shots, or who suppose get di latest vaccine. Although, di initial advice na say people wey dey 12 years and above suppose get di shot.
Why e matter: Some people still dey at risk 😷
Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax don make am clear say dem need time make dem fit produce millions of doses of di shots wey go dey available for fall.
Dr. Peter Marks, F.D.A. vaccine chief, talk say im believe say na wetin dem dey discuss today na how dem go fit produce vaccine wey go give people beta protection during dis period wey immunity go dey reduce. Im add say for winter, di virus fit further change.
Since di time wey pandemic start, 6.2 million pipo don enter hospital sake of dis virus and 1.1 million pipo don die for United States, as Natalie Thornburg, vaccine expert for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, carry am yan.
She yan say di matter don better small dis year, but some people still dey at risk. Dem include pipo wey neva take di vaccine, pipo wey immune system no strong, and pipo wey get diabetes, kidney, lung, heart, or neurologic sickness. People wey dey 65 years and above still dey at risk, and di risk dey high pass as dem dey old.
Background: Things dey change on who go get di vaccine and when 😮
Di shots wey dem give last year bin cover protection against Omicron variant and early Covid variant. About 20 percent of adults, wey be like 53 million pipo, for United States don take booster shot, and e dey high well-well for older pipo.
If dem continue with vaccine wey go target only XBB variant, e mean say newborn babies and pipo wey immune system no strong no go get immunity against di earliest Covid variants. But no wahala according to di briefing wey World Health Organization official give, dem talk say those variants no dey again.
Wetin dey sup? Vaccine fit dey waka with flu and R.S.V. jabs 🌡️
Dem expect say F.D.A. go soon give official recommendation to vaccine makers. Dem go expect manufacturers to study di new formulas and submit data give di agency. If e dey alright, di C.D.C. go advise health workers on who suppose get di jab based on age.
One F.D.A. spokesperson talk say dem believe say dem go fit produce di updated vaccine by end of September, as long as di data show say di vaccines dey safe and effective.
Wahala still dey ground on whether or when vaccine makers or di F.D.A. go check di effect of giving pipo different vaccines for fall, including di one for flu and respiratory syncytial virus (R.S.V.), wey dem expect say dem go give pregnant women and older pipo. Dem don already recommend the use of R.S.V. antibody shot to protect small pikin.
NOW IN ENGLISH
🦠 F.D.A. Panel Advises Vaccine Makers to Target Only One Covid Variant
Trouble brews today as the Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.) panel advises vaccine makers to focus on only one Covid variant. They suggest that the vaccine should target this XBB variant that is currently dominating the virus this fall, instead of the existing formula that protects against the Omicron variant and an earlier form of the virus.
The 21-member panel, who have thoroughly examined the matter, has expressed that manufacturers should direct their efforts towards the most potent variant of this Covid virus during the summer. If the F.D.A. agrees, it will initiate the production of millions of shots that will be available.
Previously, there were discussions about developing a vaccine for this coronavirus on an annual basis. However, the current discussion does not provide any specific timetable for how frequently adults should receive new shots or which individuals should receive the latest vaccine. Although the initial recommendation last fall was for individuals aged 12 and above to receive the shot.
Why is it important? Some people are still at risk 😷
Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax have made it clear that they require time to manufacture millions of doses of the shots that will be available in the fall.
Dr. Peter Marks, the F.D.A.’s vaccine chief, mentioned that today’s discussion revolves around finding the best way to produce a vaccine that provides optimal protection during a period when immunity is expected to wane. He added that during winter, there could be further evolution of the virus.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 6.2 million individuals have been hospitalized and 1.1 million have died due to this virus in the United States. These statistics were presented by Natalie Thornburg, a vaccine expert at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
She stated that the situation has improved somewhat this year, but there are still vulnerable populations. These include individuals who have not received the vaccine, those with weakened immune systems, and those who have underlying conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease, lung disease, heart disease, or neurological disorders. Individuals aged 65 and above are also at risk, and the risk increases with age.
Background: Changes are happening in terms of who receives the vaccine and when 😮
The shots administered last year provided protection against the Omicron variant and an early Covid variant. Approximately 20 percent of adults, which is about 53 million people in the United States, received the booster shot, with higher rates among older adults.
Moving forward with a vaccine targeted specifically at the XBB variant means that newborns and individuals with compromised immune systems may not have immunity against the earliest Covid variants. However, this shouldn’t be a problem, according to a briefing given by a World Health Organization official, who stated that those variants are no longer circulating.
What’s next? The vaccine may be administered alongside flu and R.S.V. vaccinations 🌡️
The F.D.A. is expected to soon provide an official recommendation to vaccine makers. Manufacturers will be required to study the new formulas and submit data to the agency. If approvals are granted, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (C.D.C.) will advise healthcare providers on which age groups should receive the jab.
A spokesperson for the F.D.A. mentioned that they anticipate an updated vaccine to be available by late September, assuming that the data supports the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines.
It remains uncertain whether the vaccine makers or the F.D.A. will examine the potential effects of administering different vaccines in the fall, including those for the flu and respiratory syncytial virus (R.S.V.), which are expected to be given to pregnant women and older individuals. The agency has already endorsed the use of an R.S.V. antibody shot to protect infants.
