A new COVID subvariant spreads rapidly as Trump pivots away from vaccines

As recent actions by the Trump administration threaten to make vaccines more difficult to obtain and more costly for many Americans, some health experts warn that the discovery of a new, highly transmissible COVID subvariant in California has increased the likelihood of a possible summer wave.

Commissioner of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. declared this week that, effective immediately, he was withdrawing the federal government’s recommendation that healthy children and pregnant women receive a COVID vaccination.

Dr. Marty Makary, the U.S. S. Additionally, it announced that the Food and Drug Administration will no longer regularly authorize COVID-19 vaccines that are developed every year for healthy individuals under 65.

This month, Makary and another FDA official, Dr. Vinay Prasad, wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine, “We just don’t know whether a healthy 52-year-old woman with a normal BMI who has previously received six doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and has had COVID-19 three times will benefit from the seventh dose.”. “This policy will compulsively generate much-needed evidence.”. “.”.

Although those efforts might not even be finished until after the conclusion of the upcoming winter flu and COVID season, some experts warn that requiring more thorough testing could cause many people to lose access to vaccines.

In a statement, Dr. Sean O’Leary, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Infectious Diseases, stated that “the safety of the COVID vaccine has been widely demonstrated, and pregnant women, infants, and young children are at higher risk of hospitalization from COVID.”.

The U. S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, receiving an updated vaccine generally gives adults and children more protection against COVID-related ER and urgent care visits.

According to some experts, the recent federal changes may also lead to government and private insurers ceasing to cover COVID vaccinations for large sectors of the population, including infants and children.

Experts warn that if federal officials don’t recommend a vaccine, Americans may have to foot the bill. For example, the cost of a COVID vaccine at CVS is $198–$999 out of pocket.

Authorities point out that COVID remains a public health concern even though the pandemic’s emergency phase has long since ended. In Asia and Europe, a relatively recent subvariant has been gaining traction, especially in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and other nations. Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious diseases specialist at UC San Francisco, stated.

You know, that subvariant. 1 point 8. Since its initial detection in January, 1, has been found throughout California, including in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles County. Last week, the WHO classified it as a “Variant Under Monitoring.”.

Note. 1–8. In recent weeks, 1 has expanded rapidly all over the world. According to WHO data for the week ending April 27, 10.7 percent of genetically examined viral samples globally were the Omicron subvariant. This represented a significant increase compared to the week ending April 6, when the subvariant accounted for 2–5% of samples globally.

The WHO stated that there was a “concurrent increase in cases and hospitalizations in some countries where NB is present,” even though the numbers were still low. 1:8. 1 is common. “”.

Note. 1–8. Currently, 1 is not common enough in the US for the CDC to publicly monitor. LP is another strain. During the two weeks ending Saturday, 8.1 was responsible for an estimated 73% of coronavirus specimens nationwide.

The data points to NB. 1 point 8. 1 does not result in more serious illness, “but it is more transmissible, at least from what we’re seeing around the world and also from lab experiments,” according to Stanford University infectious disease specialist Dr. Yvonne Maldonado.

One of Taiwan’s top health officials told reporters that an NB. 1 point 8. According to the Central News Agency, the 1-fueled outbreak was “continuing to rise rapidly, with a sustained increase in severe and fatal cases,” which led to a shortage of COVID testing kits. Taiwan’s current spike may not peak for another four to six weeks, according to health officials, who also attributed the island’s surge to the absence of a significant COVID wave during the winter.

NB. 1 point 8. The prevalence of 1 has increased in all three of the WHO regions that still regularly share genetic analysis of COVID samples: Europe, the Americas, and the Western Pacific (which includes East Asia, parts of Southeast Asia, and Australia).

According to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the percentage of COVID tests that are positive has somewhat increased in recent weeks, but the overall positive rate is still low at 3 to 5 percent. Although coronavirus levels found in the county’s wastewater have risen by 6% in the past three weeks, they are still quite low and only roughly one-eighth of the peak that was recorded in the summer of last year.

Despite the fact that California had its first mild winter since the COVID era, it came after the strongest summer spike in years.

Numerous officials and experts have praised the available COVID vaccines for their ability to prevent infection and reduce the intensity of symptoms. Nonetheless, there has been discussion regarding the necessity of otherwise healthy people getting their hands dirty.

Kennedy, a well-known vaccine skeptic, stated in a video message posted on X on Tuesday that he “couldn’t be more pleased to announce that, as of today, the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from the CDC recommended immunization schedule.”. “.”.

There is a well-established process for recommending vaccines, which usually involves panels of scientists advising the FDA and CDC. Experts said they could not think of a time when a political appointee circumvented this process.

It’s a little chilling,” Chin-Hong remarked. “It’s inconsistent with the system we’ve come to rely on and obey.”. “.”.

The Times was informed by the L. A. . Kennedy was advised by the County Department of Public Health to consult with subject-matter experts, including those from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which is set to convene next month, “before reducing access to any vaccine.”. “”.

The CDC’s longstanding vaccine recommendations remained up to date as of Thursday on its website: Everyone 6 months of age and older should receive the most recent COVID-19 vaccine, officially known as the 2024-25 version, which was released in September. Additionally, six months after their first vaccination, seniors 65 and older should receive a second dose, according to the CDC.

“I will continue to follow the federal conversation through this dynamic situation,” the California Department of Public Health said in a statement, adding that it supports the current broad recommendation for COVID vaccines. “.”.

The department also stated that “remaining vaccinated against COVID-19 can lower the risk of disease, especially more severe cases that result in hospitalization or death.”.

According to a Washington Post story published on Wednesday, officials have been “scrambling to find out what it meant” about Kennedy’s directive, which the CDC was unaware of until he posted it. “.”.

If the decree is implemented, experts who spoke to The Times cautioned that the affected groups may have to pay much more for vaccines.

The L states that insurance companies would not be obligated to pay for vaccinations if the CDC deems them unnecessary. A. In a statement, the County Department of Public Health said.

Because of this, the vaccines might be less available to healthy individuals who still desire them. This could be because they want to protect themselves against the newest subvariant, live or work with older or higher-risk individuals, or have experienced a severe COVID illness in the past, according to the agency.

The county stated that younger, healthier adults “would not be able to receive it unless their provider chooses to give it ‘off label,'” if the FDA denies a license for an updated COVID vaccine.

Regarding the question of whether healthy children and pregnant women can still receive vaccinations at Walgreens pharmacies, the company stated that its teams work “in full compliance with applicable laws.”. In regards to administering vaccines, CVS stated that its locations “follow federal guidance and are monitoring any changes that the government may make regarding vaccine eligibility.”. “”.

While acknowledging that no new official guidelines have been released as of yet, Kaiser Permanente Southern California stated that it was aware of possible changes. Kaiser is therefore sticking to the current advice, which suggests that everyone get the shots.

“L”. A. . According to the CDC and an advisory panel’s current recommendations, “pregnant women and healthy children can get vaccinated for COVID-19″ as of Wednesday, according to the County Department of Public Health.

According to Chin-Hong, 150 children died in the United States. S. . from COVID-19 within the last 12 months. The 231 pediatric flu deaths this season are roughly comparable to that, and federal health officials advise that everyone six months of age and older receive an annual flu vaccination.

The majority of people concur that children should be the target of flu vaccinations. COVID is an outlier in that regard, which seems kind of strange,” Chin-Hong remarked.

“Most countries in the world have stopped recommending the vaccine for children,” Makary stated in the video released this week. “”.

But Maldonado said the U. A. makes no recommendations for vaccines based on the standards of other countries. The U. A. advises people to get other vaccines that are less common than COVID, like the meningococcal vaccine for kids, to protect them from a dangerous bacterial illness that can infect the brain and spinal cord and kill them in a matter of hours, Maldonado said.

The impact of a recommendation differs by nation as well. For example, Canada advises older adults and those who fit specific requirements, like being pregnant or working in healthcare, to get the most recent COVID vaccine. However, everyone aged six months and up is still eligible to receive an updated COVID vaccine under the nation’s universal healthcare system.

Maldonado of Stanford, who is also a member of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, stated that while children in general are less likely to experience severe COVID illness, children younger than six months “have the same risk of complications as the 65-year-old-plus population in this country.”.

The CDC reports that among children who are eligible for vaccination, the highest rates of COVID-associated hospitalization occur in those between the ages of 6 months and 4 years.

So, will kids be the most at-risk group? No, they won’t be. However, I would say that I would want to make that decision for myself. Would you want to shield your child from a condition that might lead to hospitalization and the need for a ventilator? “And why not let the parent decide that?” Maldonado asked.

In addition to studies showing that vaccinated mothers who breastfeed have protective antibodies in their milk that may help protect their unborn children, the CDC claims that COVID vaccination during pregnancy develops antibodies that can help protect the unborn child.

According to Dr. Fiona Havers, a medical epidemiologist with the CDC, between 260,000 and 430,000 hospitalizations have been attributed to COVID since October, placing “a tremendous burden on the healthcare system,” she stated at a recent public meeting. In the same time frame, between 30,000 and 50,000 COVID-19 deaths are also thought to have occurred.

It affects people of all ages, especially those with underlying medical conditions, but it is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in older adults. “”.

According to her, even in children who are otherwise healthy, COVID is a leading cause of pediatric hospitalizations.

“Children who are hospitalized with COVID will also be affected if there is a summer wave this year,” she stated.