Minnesota ranks 2nd in US for COVID boosters, as experts rush to understand Omicron’s impact – WCCO

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Minnesota ranks second in the country for COVID-19 vaccine booster doses, with 30% receiving additional injections as experts rush to understand an emerging viral variant and mitigate its impact.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday reinforced its recommendation that anyone 18 years of age or older should receive the booster six months after receiving Pfizer and Moderna, or two months after Johnson & Johnson, respectively. The agency previously said older people “Should” receive the booster, while the rest of the adults “may” receive the vaccine.

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“The recent emergence of the Omicron variant further underscores the importance of the vaccinations, boosters and prevention efforts needed to protect against COVID-19,” CDC director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement.

Dr Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said experts are learning more and more about the Omicron, such as how it interacts with people who have been vaccinated and the severity of the disease. disease it causes. But he said the early evidence is clear and worrying.

“It’s very contagious, he’s probably going to beat Delta to become what I basically call the ‘King of Virus Hill,’ Osterholm said.

There are no confirmed cases of Omicron in Minnesota or the United States, but Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said the state has the capacity to keep up with the new strain.

“Minnesota has built one of the most powerful genomic sequencing and variant surveillance systems in the country,” Malcolm said in a statement. “If an Omicron variant infection is detected in Minnesota, we will share this information as soon as possible. “

Osterholm described the boosters as “very important” at this stage of the virus, noting that more than two-thirds of Americans who completed their initial round of vaccines by June 1 are late for booster shots and have not received them. .

(credit: CBS)

The recommendation is an additional injection six months after receiving Pfizer and Moderna and two months after the single dose vaccine from Johnson & Johnson. The concern is vaccine protection decreases over time.

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“We are actually becoming more susceptible or vulnerable to this virus,” Osterholm said. “So we need to get these people vaccinated and continue to focus on the first doses for those who have never been vaccinated.”

Data compiled by the United States Centers for Disease Control show Minnesota recall numbers at 30%, trend above the national average of 20.5% of all vaccinees received an additional dose.

Nearly 70% of vaccine-eligible Minnesotans – aged five and over – have at least one injection, according to data from the state’s health department.

The Omicron news comes as Minnesota continues to battle an increase in COVID-19 with infection rates higher than most states nationwide. Hospitals here face a war on two fronts – coronavirus patients and others facing critical care needs unrelated to COVID – with less staff to manage this.

Last week, the federal government sent emergency military teams to lighten some of the burden.

Dr Beth Thielen, infectious disease physician at M Health Fairview, noted that the Delta variant is what is causing the strain on hospitals. She said the Omicron variant was “concerning” but warned not to panic.

“We kind of expected to see where these variations would crop up,” Thielen said. “So I don’t think it’s particularly surprising given the amount of COVID we’re seeing right now. “

She, like other public health experts, has doubled the importance of vaccinations because of their protection against serious illness and death.

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“Even if you… are unlucky and get a breakthrough infection, you will probably be substantially protected from a bad outcome if you are vaccinated,” she said.