COVID Vaccines for New Variants Approved
Cases in Montana decrease 15.4% from the number of cases last week
By Denise Rivette
The reported rates of COVID-19 decreased this week in Montana. On Friday, August 23, the Montana Department of Health and Human Services reported 471 COVID cases, a 15.4% decrease (86 cases) compared to the 557 cases reported the previous Friday. Not all who test positive report their results to the health department.
While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that Covid-19 infections are currently increasing in 32 states based on data from emergency department visits, emergency room visits in Montana for COVID are low at just 1.5%-2.9% of all visits. Hospitalizations and deaths from Covid remain at their lowest levels across the United States.
Carbon County Public Health Department and Beartooth Billings Clinic were asked earlier this week via email for information on how COVID is affecting Carbon County. Neither entity responded to the request.
Yesterday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved and granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (2024-2025 formula) manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer. The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have been updated with a formula to more closely target currently circulating variants and provide better protection against serious consequences of COVID-19. The CDC stated, “It is especially important to get your 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine if you are ages 65 and older, are at high risk for severe COVID-19, or have never received a COVID-19 vaccine.” The vaccine is also reported to reduce the chances of experiencing long COVID.
The new COVID vaccines are expected to be widely available in September.
When is the best time to get the vaccine?
According to CDC guidance, if you’ve recently had Covid, “you may consider delaying your vaccine dose by 3 months” as the infection usually boosts your natural antibodies during that time. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, peak effectiveness of vaccines against infection occurs at about 4 weeks and decreases to about 20% effectiveness after 20 weeks. Although vaccines will be available in September, many sources recommend waiting until October and getting the COVID vaccine with your flu shot, as the winter surge of infections for both coincide. Some people choose to wait if they are planning to travel for the holidays to time the peak effectiveness with their travels. The CDC states it is safe to get a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines, including flu and RSV vaccines, at the same time.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been tracking the prevalence of COVID in wastewater around the country. It is reported every two weeks. Below is the information reported on August 15.
Last week’s reported results from wastewater monitoring around the country show that in most states the levels of COVID found in wastewater is high to very high. Nationally, COVID viral activity in wastewater rose to 8.82 on August 10, less than the peak of 9.56 in July 2022. Before it started rising again in May, it was at 1.36. The CDC says the most recent data is incomplete and may change. “Currently, the COVID-19 wastewater viral activity level is very high nationally, with the highest levels in the Western U.S. region,” Dr. Jonathan Yoder, Deputy Director of the CDC’s Wastewater Surveillance Program, said in an email as reported by CNN. “This year’s COVID-19 wave is coming earlier than last year, which occurred in late August/early September.”
Below is a screenshot from the CDC website.
New COVID guidelines from the CDC align with those of other endemic respiratory viruses and advise that people who test positive stay home and stay away from others (including those in the same household). According to the CDC, after testing positive you can resume normal activities when both of the following statements have been true for at least 24 hours:
Your symptoms are getting better overall; and
You do not have a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication)
When returning to your normal activities, you should take added precautions over the next five days, such as masking, physical distancing and testing.
KFF Health News has produced a slide show with information including the new CDC guidelines. You can see the slideshow HERE.