CDC COVID Data Tracker indicates that KP.3.1.1 is the largest variant, with XEC next, in November 2024.
Both are related to the JN.1 family of variants that produced the summer wave of infections, and which were used in the vaccines that became available in late summer or early fall. Unless the virus finds a variant that is significantly different (like JN.1 was compared to XBB), this year’s infections and vaccines may leave a more effective immune response this winter than last year’s XBB family infections and vaccines did when JN.1 showed up last winter.
@ucbalumnus does this affect response to the Novavax? It is now readily available at big-chain pharmacies in NYC and I am considering getting it tomorrow, along with my flu shot, after all Moderna doses except one Pfizer a couple of years ago.
My 90 yo relative just recovered from her first case of COVID. (She had had all the boosters). She had felt tired and had a cold but didn’t receive any treatment other than rest at home. As she doesn’t get out much, she probably was infected by her spouse - who never felt sick or took a test. I’ve had all the boosters and have not contracted COVID (to my knowledge anyway). Maybe there is some genetic resistance?! Thanking the lucky stars now!
There have been various studies finding various genetic variants which are associated with either increased or reduced severity of COVID-19 infection.
Of course, genetic variants have tradeoffs relating to different infectious diseases. For example, one type of variant appears to increase risk of severe COVID-19, but reduces the risk of HIV infection: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2116435119
I’ve vax’d and boosted as recommended each year, and I had covid for the first/only time in December, 2022. Then I had a booster early October, 2023.
No covid this year—but I am very rarely out and about. I’m not masking in the grocery store, but I do wear a KN95 whenever I go into a hospital or clinic for any medical care. I also travelled back to Japan for 3 weeks in early summer and I wore a KN95 on the way to Japan, but did not mask while there or on the way back.
Today I had the new Pfizer, timed to be hopefully at its peak usefullness going into the holidays. I will be volunteering for several long days in December in a crowded environment and I will wear a KN95 the whole time to lower my odds of catching anything.
I definitely think there’s some kind of genetic resistance. My almost 90 y.o. FIL in otherwise poor health got the first set of vaccines and then the first booster, but that’s it. I wasn’t going to take him if he didn’t ask. He lives with my SIL/BIL who are somewhat anti Vaxers. They did get one shot at our urging.
My SIL/BIL (who are in terrible health and are home 24-7) have had it 4 times. Each time lasting at least two weeks. They are not maskers. My FIL to my knowledge has never had it! Or at least not bad enough to mention to us. This last time in Oct we went over there two weeks after BIL/SIL came down with it and they still felt and sounded like death… my FIL said he thought he was coming down with it because one night his throat hurt and food tasted a little funny, but the next morning, he felt fine.
Similarly, H worked in an elementary school in person since fall of 2020. A few protocols were followed until spring of 2021? Maybe 2022. But very few people stayed home at school if they had covid. He was surrounded by it every day. He caught it a couple of times, but he only tested to prove me wrong because I mentioned he was clearing his throat more than usual. That’s it! When it gave it to me once, I got very sick (for me. Doctors would call it mild)
And this last time when I got it on vacation with super mild symptoms… he was joined at the hip with me maskless 24-7 for the week before and the first 4 days with symptoms. He never came down with it. We both do get all the rec’d vax.
This chart looks basically like “wait 6 months after infection”, except that they do not think it is worth getting vaccine after March but before the new variant version becomes available in September, and that they think that those who would ordinarily get it in January by the 6 month guideline should get it in December (presumably due to increased exposure from family visits and/or travel during December).
Hmmmm, well, I only had COVID once and it was 6/2023, so we went ahead and got the vaccine in early October, before our friends came and we all stayed at a VRBO in Kona. We all stayed healthy, so I’m happy about that. D is getting her COVID shot now so she can be healthy for the holidays when she’s with us and around her great cousins who are small germ factories.
On an individual basis, the optimal booster dosing date can vary based on expected dates of high exposure activities which may not be the same as those for most of the population.
Descendants of JN.1 still continue to dominate COVID-19 variants, according to CDC COVID Data Tracker
Meanwhile, COVID-19 levels still remain low, perhaps because the virus has not found a different enough variant to evade immunity from recent infection and vaccination (unlike in previous years, when XBB was different enough from BA.5 and when JN.1 was different enough from XBB).
Yeah. I get the impression that there is some surprise that there wasn’t a post thanksgiving spike in COVID. But numbers were so low going in maybe it not a surprise and you are likely right about variants.
Page mentions that Novavax is not well known, despite its lesser unwanted effects. But it fails to mention its longer production timeline and supply limitations that mean that it is often less available than mRNA vaccines at the beginning of each new variant vaccine year.
But those who find the unwanted effects of mRNA vaccines a reason to hesitate getting them may want to look for Novavax.
I went to get my Covid shot about a month ago and the pharmacy had all 3 vaccines. I asked about Novavax but they suggested I just stick with the mRNA, which does typically make me feel not so great for a day (to varying degrees.) I have only had Covid once, years ago, and frequently attend crowded events, like concerts, so I guess the mRNA vaccines are working at some level. Who knows. I do kind of regret not trying novavax to see what the side effects would be for me.
