No need for booster shots, some experts say
COVID-19 vaccine booster shots may be available to all fully vaccinated Americans in a week, but a review by international scientists – including some at the World Health Organization and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration – says we may not need them.
The review, published Monday in The Lancet, summarizes scientific evidence from randomized controlled trials and observational studies that appeared in both peer-reviewed journals and pre-print servers. The consistent finding was that vaccines remain highly effective against severe disease, including from the delta and other variants.
Originally, President Joe Biden said a third shot booster dose for people with healthy immune systems would be offered beginning Sept. 20 but walked that back over concerns the announcement got ahead of recommendations from the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committees. Who will be eligible and when won’t be decided until two key scientific advisory committees meet in coming days.
– Adrianna Rodriguez
Anti-vaccine activist Wolski dies of COVID-19
Veronica Wolski, 64, a vocal foe of COVID-19 vaccines and masks, died Monday, lawyer Lin Wood announced.
In recent days Wood had promoted a campaign to pressure a Chicago hospital to treat Wolski with ivermectin. The drug, primarily a parasite medicine used on horses and cattle, is occasionally prescribed for humans for parasitic worms, skin conditions and head lice, according to the FDA. The agency has not authorized ivermectin for preventing or treating COVID-19 in humans or animals.
“It is our responsibility to ensure that these medical murders stop NOW and the perpetrators be brought to justice,” Wood said on the social media site Telegram.
W.Va. lobbies for jabs amid state infection records
West Virginia broke the rolling, seven-day record for new infections in a week on Friday, Saturday and then again Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Less than 48% of West Virginia’s adult population is fully vaccinated, the lowest of any state, according to the CDC.
Gov. Jim Justice held a news conference Monday that included physicians who urged vaccinations and discussed the dangers and longterm effects of the virus.
“You have got to listen to these people,” Justice said. “These are really good people and they are really smart and they are trying to save your life every day.”
Also in the news
Anyone attending an outdoor event with 500 or more people in Washington state is required to wear a face-covering, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status, under a mandate effective Monday.
Today’s numbers: The U.S. has recorded nearly 41 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and nearly 660,700 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
Contributing: John Bacon and Christal Hayes, USA TODAY