Get whatever is the newest available (and usually what the pharmacies have in stock) as they are more likely effective in mitigating symptoms of the most current strains. We had the spikemax (or whatever it’s called) last spring and then the nextspike 3 weeks before our overseas travel.
Speaking of covid, anyone have any insights on the new strain, BA.3.2?
1 Like
BA.3.2 is a much more distant cousin from the variants that have been common the last two years (the latter being descendants of BA.2.86 and its descendant JN.1).
So immune response from infection or vaccine in the last two years might match worse to BA.3.2 than for the various new JN.1 descendants.
But there still does not seem to be clarity on whether it has an overall advantage, which depends on additional factors like how easily it invades human cells, how fast it replicates, etc.
thanks.
Checking your browser - reCAPTCHA has some more early information on BA.3.2:
- There is a sublineage BA.3.2.2. “Modelling data from UK genomic surveillance further suggests that BA.3.2.2 has a growth advantage over the previously dominant XFG variant, supporting the notion that this lineage could expand further despite its reduced ACE2 binding and lung cell entry, as described by Zhang et al. [3]. At this stage, estimates of BA.3.2.2 prevalence and growth advantage remain uncertain due to limited sequencing coverage and should therefore be interpreted with caution.”
- Some monoclonial antibodies that JN.1-derived lineages are resistant to appear to be effective against BA.3.2.2.
YLE writes about BA.3.2, among other things:
I got to hear her speak last night - a group in Freeport hosted the event. Wow, is she impressive. It gives me hope for the future, when we have someone that bright so invested in improving public health in the US.
5 Likes
https://www.hematologyadvisor.com/news/cdc-pauses-release-of-covid-vaccine-effectiveness-study/
A report summary obtained by The New York Times indicated that the study showed that vaccination:
Reduced emergency visits by 50%
Reduced hospitalizations by 55%
4 Likes
I can’t say more here. Perhaps post this on the Political forum Hodge Podge thread?
1 Like
There is a “Politics of vaccines” thread in the political section where you can repost the link with your political commentary.
We just got a COVID Moderna NexSpike 2025-26 booster that we hope will protect us when we travel. We last got our booster in September. We’re both vulnerable and at high risk of serious cases if we get COVID. That said, we had COVID once (H probably had it before there were tests and medicines as well). We all recovered well with promptly taking Paxlovid.
I’m going to get a course of Paxlovid and Tamiflu as well as azythromycin and doxycycline for our upcoming trip out of country. Don’t want to be sick without my medications.
1 Like
Rapid antigen combination tests for COVID-19, flu A, flu B, and RSV are available in the US. In some other countries, there are combination tests with all of the above and several more.
Yes, we have some test kits for covid, flu a/b & rsv. They’re expired but still show the control line and no other line.
I just got my booster too. Last spring was the one time we got covid – thanks, grandkids!-- and hope to avoid the summer bump, which seems to be bigger than the winter one lately.
1 Like
The summer wave where BA.3.2 variants may be a significant factor may be bigger because:
- Most people who got vaccinated got it 9+ months ago with a vaccine targeted against last year’s JN.1 based variants.
- Those who got infected this past winter were likely infected with JN.1 based variants.
1 Like
Newer studies found Paxlovid to have no significant effect against hospitalization or death from COVID-19. However, rates of hospitalization were very low, and there were no deaths in the study, likely because the study cohort already had previous vaccinations and infections.
1 Like
“RFK Jr. and the CDC’s top official, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, don’t want you to read this.” This is the paper on the vaccine effectiveness of the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccines.
We just got our covid shots about 2 weeks ago, so they should be at peak of effectiveness while we are touring overseas. We are both at high risk of serious COVID, so we figured it was a no brainer to get the shots. It was quick & easy, at local CVS, no appointment required. We got Moderna, because the microbiology expert we heard last month said that’s what she gets.
2 Likes
Which Moderna (Spikevax or mNexspike)?
We are >65, so we got that one they give us oldersters. We weren’t offered a choice. It was the MNexspike. It was the same one we got in October.