Influenza Vaccines and an Update on COVID-19 Boosters

Influenza Vaccines:

Flu season is coming soon, and we are making preparations to vaccinate our patients. We had a light flu season last year because we were wearing masks all the time, but this year, with no mask mandates and everything being open, we will probably have many more cases of the flu. We feel the optimal time to get vaccinated in San Diego is late October or November because flu season here peaks around January, and by vaccinating at that time, you will have the most antibodies to protect you around the peak of flu season. However, if you are traveling out of town before November, you can certainly get your vaccine sooner. The CDC usually recommends getting the flu vaccine right now, as early as it's available, but that's because they are more concerned about developing "herd immunity" in a community -- if more people are vaccinated early on, there is less chance that influenza hits that community hard later on.

Once again, we will be carrying TWO different flu vaccines. We have the usual 4-strain (quadrivalent) flu vaccine that everyone is eligible to receive. We also have a HIGH DOSE 4-strain vaccine called Flublok. This vaccine has three times the amount of antigen for 4 different strains, and studies show that it gives 30% better protection than the usual 4-strain flu vaccine when tested in patients ages 50 and above. There is also a "senior” flu shot called Fluzone High-Dose which also protects against 4 strains of influenza. Given a choice between the two of them, I would choose Flublok because it is not grown in eggs, which prevents possible mutations that can occur in egg-grown vaccines. However, the difference is not huge, so if you can’t get Flublok, the Fluzone High-Dose is certainly a good substitute. Therefore, we are recommending the Flublok vaccine in all patients ages 50 and above. If you get your flu shot elsewhere, please let us know so we can document it, as we do try to monitor how many people get their flu shots annually. And if you are going to get a COVID-19 vaccine booster, know that it is OK to receive a COVID-19 vaccine together with a flu shot.

Most insurances, including Medicare, do cover all flu shots, but if it is not covered, Flublok costs around $80. If you happen to be in the Ximed building Tuesday, Wednesdays or Fridays, you can just stop by the office to get the vaccine. If you want to come in on Mondays or Thursdays, please call us first. If you have questions, please contact our office by phone at 858-452-7040 or through your web portal (accessed through www.sun-md.com).
 
Update on COVID-19 Boosters

We finally have some guidelines on boosters, but things will continue to evolve. This is what we know right now:

• The advisory panel to the FDA gave recommendations on September 17 that certain groups of people should get a COVID-19 booster vaccine. This is just the advisory panel’s recommendation, and the full FDA, as well as the CDC, will still need to give their recommendations, which should occur within the next week or two.

• This recommendation is ONLY for the Pfizer vaccine, as that was the first one that was developed and come out to market. Moderna still has to get full FDA approval, and recommendations for their booster vaccine probably won’t happen until after they get full approval. Recommendations for the J&J vaccine will also come later.

• The proposed recommendation for the booster is for eight months after the second Pfizer shot. To be due for your booster today, you would have to have received your second Pfizer shot at the end of January.

• Who qualifies for a Pfizer booster shot, eight months after their second shot?
  • Individuals ages 65 and older
  • Individuals whose jobs put them at a higher risk of contracting COVID, including healthcare workers, first responders, teachers, and other groups
  • Individuals who are at high risk for complications from COVID. This has not been defined yet, and more clarity will occur when the FDA and CDC give their final approval.

• What if you are 64 years old and don’t meet the other criteria? You really should not worry because all 3 of the vaccines have still been shown to be excellent at preventing severe disease and death, even after the eight months. Over the next few months, they will continue to look at the data and decide if additional people should receive boosters.

• What are we doing in the office? We are still getting small shipments of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and will be giving third shots in people that meet the appropriate criteria once they are announced. Even though it is not officially recommended to give third shots yet, if we have open vials of doses that will otherwise have be thrown away, we are still utilizing our list of people who want a third dose before the official recommendations come out.

• What should you do? If you had the Pfizer vaccine, feel like you meet the criteria for a booster shot, and want to get it at our office, PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE OFFICE. Instead, send a message through the portal or email drsuncovidvax@choice.md with the following information: your name, age, date of your second Pfizer vaccine, and whether you work in a high risk profession or have a high risk condition.

We will continue to provide you with more updates as information becomes available.