Reminder ==> COVID.gov for booster shots

Last update: Monday 9/12/22 

Dr. Fauci commented during a recent White House press briefing that

"we likely are moving towards a path with a vaccination cadence similar to that of the annual influenza vaccine, with annual, updated COVID-19 shots matched to the currently circulating strains for most of the population." His statement struck the editor of this blog as a wise assessment ... except for the good doctor's reference to "most of the population". If a strong majority of the population were currently up-to-date on their primary doses and booster shots, this thumbnail portrayal of a "new normal" could not be challenged ... but, unfortunately, most of the population who are eligible for booster shots are nowhere near up-to-date on their booster shots. To be more specific, less than 30 percent of the most vulnerable members of the population, persons 65 and older, are up-to-date.

If the near future of the pandemic is anything like the recent past, we can expect that at least 75 percent of all new COVID deaths will be among persons 65 and older. On the other hand, if the near future of the pandemic is like the recent past, persons under 18 will have little or no chance of either dying or becoming severely ill from COVID, even if they aren't vaccinated.

Given the widespread de facto resistance to more boosters, pandemic managers will likely produce far greater reductions in hospitalizations and deaths if they target their booster boosting to the most vulnerable groups. However, they should also target the friends, family, and professional caregivers of the most vulnerable who have frequent face-to-face interactions with them, the reason being that the new bivalent boosters are designed to reduce the transmissibility of the virus. Boosting friends, family, and professional caregivers will therefore reduce the likelihood that they will infect the most vulnerable.

So the intended audience for this note's reminder are its oldest readers plus younger readers who have underlying health conditions that make them easy prey for the virus, e.g., immunocompromised, diabetics, and morbidly obese. And as just noted, it also seeks to remind the friends, family, and professional caregivers of the most vulnerable readers. 

REMINDER

• Direct your browser to COVID.gov
• Click the link to "Vaccines"
• Find a conveniently located dispenser of the new boosters
• Make an appointment for the earliest available date that fits your schedule.
• Keep your appointment ... :-)

P.S. The 80 year old editor of this blog made his appointment yesterday 9/11/22 to receive his third booster shot tomorrow 9/13/22 ...

P.P.S. ... which he received today 9/13/22 ... because jabs save vulnerable lives!!!  ... :-)

____________________________________

Links to related notes on this blog:  

• 4 COVID FAQs, Last update: 9/11/22