Our relationship with COVID-19 continues to shift. The Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) reports that the highly contagious BA.2 subvariant of omicron is becoming more prevalent among those infected with COVID-19.
On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and DOH opened the door for people in certain groups to seek an additional booster.
And on March 26, Hawaii became the last state in the nation to drop its mask mandate.
People are starting to breathe easier as we gratefully resume long-denied activities, some of us unmasked, some preferring to keep the mask on. And with hospitalizations trending downward, and vaccines abundantly available, the overall picture remains positive.
Still, it doesn’t hurt to be careful.
The growing dominance of BA.2 in the islands was an expected development, but it’s also an alert: This coronavirus variant is extremely effective at passing from person to person.
The weekly average positivity rate for Hawaii, reported on Wednesday, was 3.3%, DOH said. That’s an increase from 2.9% last week and 2.3% the week before that.
Tuesday’s guidance from the FDA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and DOH indicates that an additional COVID-19 booster is advised for people who are vulnerable for serious consequences from COVID-19 infection.
It can all seem confusing, so let’s try to break it down:
These people are now eligible to request an additional booster shot, four months after receiving their last dose:
>> Those who are over 50.
>> Those who received the Johnson &Johnson vaccine as both a primary and booster shot.
>> Those who are 12 and older with a compromised immune system who were already eligible for a second booster; the latest guidance allows for a third dose.
The CDC endorses an extra shot as an option, but not everyone eligible for a second booster needs to rush out to get one, experts say. CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said those 65 and older, or 50 and up with chronic illnesses, are most likely to benefit.
To unpack this further: Even for those who’ve received a vaccine and booster, protection from COVID-19 infection and severe illness wanes over time, studies show. This is worrisome for people at risk. Therefore, the booster may be right for you if you’re a senior, over 50 and high-risk because of conditions such as heart or lung disease, diabetes or obesity, or have a compromised immune system. Ask your doctor.
We’re talking mRNA boosters here, because the CDC has determined that adding an mRNA vaccine such as Moderna or Pfizer provides better protection. That’s also why those who got Johnson &Johnson’s single-dose shot and a second J&J shot as a booster should seek a third dose of Moderna or Pfizer.
Only the Pfizer vaccine has been authorized for those ages 12 to 18.
Other life-saving precautions should be obvious by now, but let’s repeat them: Get vaccinated and boosted if you can and haven’t already. If infected with COVID-19, avoid exposing immune-compromised and otherwise vulnerable people to infection: Test and isolate.
If you or those you come in contact with would benefit from the increased protection that an effective mask provides, by all means, wear one.
Those who don’t fall into high-risk categories should pay close attention to the evolving guidance. The FDA set the age at 50 because that’s when chronic conditions that increase COVID-19 risks become more common, but left it to individuals to make the call on their own risk level.
We need to continue monitoring Hawaii infection rates, and watch for new variants. Most of all, we need to look out for ourselves and one another as we work to put COVID-19 behind us for good.
