Advertisement

Ask the Doctors: New bivalent boosters, Long COVID, and when to get your flu shot

19:58
Download Audio
Resume
The recently authorized booster vaccine protects against the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and the more recent omicron variants, BA.4 and BA.5. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
The recently authorized booster vaccine protects against the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and the more recent omicron variants, BA.4 and BA.5. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Even as the pandemic is declared "over," by President Biden at least, wastewater levels in Massachusetts showed an increase in COVID infections in recent weeks.

The introduction of updated COVID-19 boosters and concurrent health concerns around the seasonal flu and monkeypox bring up questions for many about how to stay healthy this season.

As the fall weather brings more gatherings indoors, we invited listeners to send their questions about navigating COVID and seasonal illnesses.

Boston Medical Center infectious disease specialist Dr. Sabrina Assoumou and Tufts Medical Center epidemiologist Dr. Shira Doron joined us on WBUR's Radio Boston to break it down.

On COVID avoidance practices, such as voluntarily masking indoors

One of our listeners from Cambridge asked about taking COVID precautions when avoidance practices such as masking are no longer strictly required.

"I always wear a mask when I go to indoor public spaces but I'm still concerned about catching COVID there as well, since many other people aren't wearing masks."

Doron affirmed that wearing a high quality mask is an effective defense from getting COVID-19. She also highlighted the different layers of protection that are available today to decrease the risk associated with getting COVID.

"If you are up to date on your vaccines, you are very well protected against the worst part of the virus," she said.

For high risk groups, such as the immunocompromised, Doron pointed to preventative monoclonal antibody treatment — which blocks the virus that causes COVID-19 from entering cells in your body and limits the amount of the virus within your body — as well as the oral antiviral pill, Paxlovid.

However, Doron says the virus is here to stay.

"I do believe that pretty much everybody will get COVID-19 at some point," she said. "But luckily, we are in a place where that's much less dangerous."

On 'Long COVID' and post-COVID conditions

Researchers are looking into health risks in people after getting COVID, including cardiovascular problems, increased risk of diabetes, and how it can affect the brain.

Assoumou says she is being cautious as treatments are still being developed, and when COVID cases are high, recommends using as many of the the available protective measures as possible.

"There's still so much we don't know about COVID and the long term implications. We're seeing new onset diabetes. We're seeing brain shrinkage. We're seeing heart attacks," she said.

"Even if you've had COVID already and you don't have Long COVID, there are some data out there that the more infections you get, the reinfection could increase your chances of potentially getting Long COVID and other complications."

On the new bivalent COVID vaccines

At the end of last month [Aug 31], the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved the first updated COVID-19 booster shots. The reformulated so-called bivalent vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech target the original strain of the coronavirus, as well as the omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants that are circulating in Massachusetts and elsewhere.

A listener from Methuen asked the doctors about what testing on humans has been done prior to the rollout of the new booster.

Assoumou begins by saying that the mRNA vaccine technology used to create the boosters has been heavily tested with previous COVID-19 vaccines to date, and has proven to be safe for the millions who have been vaccinated.

However, the bivalent vaccine targeting BA.4 and BA.5 has not been tested on humans. She notes that the bivalent vaccine for the BA.1 strain has been tested in humans, and has performed well.

"We do know that the technology and approach of using a bivalent vaccine is safe," said Assoumou, adding that the approach mirrors that of the flu vaccine, which uses preclinical data without testing on humans every year.

On the availability of the bivalent vaccine for children

In June, the CDC authorized a long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine for children under the age of 5. One parent in Melrose with a child under five about to get her first round of COVID shot asks whether the vaccine for children will also target the omicron strains.

Doron clarified that the bivalent vaccine is not available to anyone as a primary series, or initial dose, of the COVID vaccine. Regardless of age, she says the Food and Drug Administration is waiting for more human data on the new formulation before allowing it to be used as the first dose for unvaccinated people.

However, Doron said the FDA plans to authorize the bivalent vaccines as boosters for younger age groups soon.

"They expect that to be in the order of weeks for the five to 11 [age group]," she said.

On the scheduling COVID vaccines with the flu or monkeypox vaccines

A listener in Charlestown wrote, "How should I time taking the flu shot and the updated COVID booster for maximum protection through the fall and winter?"

Doron says it makes sense to get both the COVID and flu shots at the same time as a matter of convenience. However, it may be tricky to pin down the the best time for a flu shot, depending on how long flu season lasts.

"[This past year] we were still seeing circulating flu at decent levels until June. And so if you had gotten your vaccine in early September, it's possible that it wasn't really giving you maximum protection," she said.

Still, Doron advised against waiting too long as flu season may ramp up quickly, and once vaccinated, the flu shot takes two weeks to take maximum effect.

One listener from Quincy asked for those that have received, or are considering the monkeypox vaccine, "Should there be a gap between the monkeypox vaccine and the new COVID booster?"

Unlike the flu vaccine, Assoumou advises people to wait a month in between COVID and monkeypox vaccines.

"This is actually one of those times when you want to space things out. The CDC said wait four weeks between your monkeypox and your COVID shot because we're trying to limit the potential impact on the heart," she said.

More than 15,000 people have been vaccinated for monkeypox in Massachusetts since June.

This article was originally published on September 13, 2022.

This segment aired on September 13, 2022.

Headshot of Sydney Boles

Sydney Boles Associate Producer
Sydney Boles was an associate producer for Radio Boston.

More…

Headshot of Tiziana Dearing

Tiziana Dearing Host, Radio Boston
Tiziana Dearing is the host of Radio Boston.

More…

Advertisement

More from Radio Boston

Listen Live
Close