Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Director Clear On Need For Booster Covid Shot
NBC News: CDC Director Explains Who Needs 2nd Covid Vaccine Booster
The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided more clarity on who should — or perhaps should not — consider getting a second Covid-19 booster vaccine, saying that a recent infection may in fact act as a "natural boost" in immunity. People who have had the two-dose mRNA vaccine series plus one booster don't need a second booster if they recently were infected with the omicron variant of the coronavirus, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told NBC News. (Edwards, 4/5)
The New York Times: The C.D.C. Director Says She ‘Really Would Encourage’ Second Boosters For Older People And Many With Chronic Conditions
Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Tuesday that her agency “really would encourage people who are over 50 who have underlying medical conditions and those over the age of 65” to get a second booster shot. Her remarks at a White House briefing were her clearest statement to date on who should get what for most people amounts to a fourth shot against the coronavirus. (LaFraniere, 4/6)
CNBC: CDC Director Says High Immunity In U.S. Population Provides Some Protection Against Omicron BA.2
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky on Tuesday said there is enough immunity in the U.S. population to provide some protection against the more contagious omicron BA.2 subvariant, which could help stave off another Covid wave that slams hospitals. “The high level of immunity in the population from vaccines, boosters and previous infection will provide some level of protection against BA.2,” Walensky said during a White House Covid briefing. White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said last month that infections might rise due to BA.2, but he doesn’t expect another surge. (Kimball, 4/5)
In related news about boosters —
NBC News: Covid Boosters: FDA Advisers To Meet To Discuss What Shots We'll Need Next
Fewer than half of eligible adults have received that first booster shot, and some health experts question whether getting additional doses of the vaccines every few months to protect against mild illness is a practical public health strategy. The all-day meeting Wednesday of the agency’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will try to answer these questions, or at least develop a framework for a long-term booster strategy, according to briefing documents released by the FDA before the meeting. (Lovelace Jr., 4/5)
The New York Times: Israeli Study Says Second Booster Protects Against Omicron Infection But Wanes Fast
A second booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine provides additional short-term protection against Omicron infections and severe illness among older adults, according to a large new study from Israel. But the booster’s effectiveness against infection in particular wanes after just four weeks and almost disappears after eight weeks. Protection against severe illness did not ebb in the six weeks after the extra dose, but the follow-up period was too short to determine whether a second booster provided better long-term protection against severe disease than a single booster. (Anthes, 4/6)
Stat: STAT-Harris Poll: Most Americans Would Get A Covid-19 Booster Shot If Recommended
As a Food and Drug Administration panel meets Wednesday to sort out the ongoing use of booster shots for Covid-19, a new survey by STAT and The Harris Poll finds six in 10 Americans have already decided they will get another booster if it’s recommended for them. Just under one-quarter of U.S. adults indicated they will only receive a second booster shot if a new variant arises or there is a surge in Covid-19 cases in their area, and 18% have no plans to get a booster at all, according to the survey, which polled 2,028 U.S. adults between March 25 and 27. (Silverman, 4/6)
Also —
Stat: Defiant Redfield Blasts Former CDC Directors For Criticism During Covid-19
A defiant Robert Redfield teed off on other former directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday, lambasting the other onetime agency leaders for publicly criticizing his, and the Trump administration’s, response to the Covid-19 pandemic. “The one thing I’ve gained from three years in the Trump administration is every time that I go through an airport now, I trigger the metal detector because of all the shrapnel that’s in my back,” he said. “It was disappointing that some of my CDC director colleagues felt the necessity to publicly criticize me in the news.” (Facher, 4/5)
