Within the fifth century B.C., Hippocrates first reported a illness with “flu-like signs” spreading throughout northern Greece. Years later, in Renaissance Florence, round A.D. 1300 a flu virus known as “influenza di freddo” hit the Italian metropolis with a vengeance. Historical past exhibits that we’ve been coping with the flu for hundreds of years, whereas COVID-19 is a comparably new contagion. Nonetheless, based on specialists, the flu has supplied the groundwork for the way we would reply to COVID-19 sooner or later.
Rajeev Fernando, an infectious illness knowledgeable and fellow at Harvard Medical College, says that we’re in a really completely different place than we had been with the virus in 2020 as a result of now round 90 p.c of People have been contaminated with COVID-19. Many people have “hybrid immunity,” that means we’ve been vaccinated towards the an infection and contracted it. Consequently, we’re much less more likely to want vaccines each 4 months as we did a couple of years in the past.
An Annual Booster?
Whereas there’s lots we don’t know, Fernando contends that we could possibly function equally as we do round influenza, taking a look at the kind of flu pressure that’s circulating within the southern hemisphere and altering every year’s vaccine accordingly. “It’s affordable to suppose this is able to work with the COVID-19 vaccine as nicely and {that a} yearly vaccine may very well be advisable, however the distinction is that we have now years of flu information that we simply don’t but have with COVID-19,” says Fernando.
As new variants come out, says Fernando, we have now to have the ability to regulate accordingly and suggest an up to date vaccine when there’s a risk. Many vaccine producers have already mentioned that they may have the ability to come out with a brand new vaccine inside 100 days if a harmful variant rears its head. In that case, a vaccine is perhaps wanted greater than as soon as per yr.
Learn Extra: What New Variants Of COVID-19 Are At the moment Circulating?
Just like the flu vaccine, the very best advice for a COVID-19 vaccine can be aged and immunocompromised sufferers. Nonetheless, those that will not be immunocompromised can even select to get one. However as the information unfolds, we’ll have a greater thought of who must get an annual jab. “Both manner, we ought to be ready that if somebody who isn’t immunocompromised desires to get the vaccine, they shouldn’t be turned away,” says Fernando. Moreover, he’s involved that as President Biden lifts the COVID Emergency Declaration, COVID-19 vaccines will now not be free to those that want them probably the most.
The Threat of Lengthy COVID
However specialists aren’t in full settlement on what the way forward for vaccines will seem like. Grace McComsey, MD, who leads the Lengthy COVID RECOVER examine at College Hospitals Well being System in Cleveland, agrees that we may have multiple shot per yr, based mostly on variants. However for her, the bigger concern round COVID-19 is lengthy COVID.
Learn Extra: What’s Lengthy COVID and What are the Signs?
Whereas most individuals are much less doubtless at this level to die from acute COVID-19, lengthy COVID impacts a large swath of sufferers from all walks of life, she says. There are such a lot of extra problems in those that survive COVID-19 in comparison with the flu, and we’re seeing so many new well being circumstances like mind fog, lethargy, blood clots, gastrointestinal points and so many others which can be arising on account of this illness. “In my view, stopping lengthy COVID ought to be the principle concern and the rationale why everybody must get an annual immunization if not multiple,” says McComsey.
There’s nonetheless lots we don’t find out about how COVID-19 will influence us sooner or later as extra variants come out and we have now a greater understanding of lengthy COVID. All of it will have an effect on who must get an annual shot. However what is evident is that COVID-19 isn’t over, and our response to it shouldn’t be both. And in contrast to the flu, when you survive COVID-19, it doesn’t imply you’re within the clear.
Learn Extra: Might COVID-19 Be Altering Who We Are?
