Thread by @DrEricDing

Incoming—CDC vaccine advisers expected to vote Thursday on updated #BA5 variant boosters. New shots likely available within days. This is the booster I’m waiting for.

P.s. This updated booster is basically the same as the original just slightly modified spike configuration for BA5. I don’t need to see a new Phase 3 trial of 30,000 people for small software updates. Hence lab studies showing superiority over the old 1.0 version is okay. Get it.

3) to be clear— this variant update lab method is what we do with influenza vaccines yearly (instead of launching major new flu trials yearly). And I’m confident it will be similar with this BA5 mRNA vaccine update from the Wuhan 1.0.

4) On timing, I will get my booster in mid Sept to October - so that I will be most protected in late fall & winter when cases likely highest. The best time to get flu shots traditionally is in October in terms of timing. But #Ba5 is raging now. So shots ASAP!

5) Don’t be misled that #COVID19 is over in 2022. In England, More kids are on pace to die in 2022 than 2020-2021 combined! #CovidIsNotOver. Get boosted please.

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1564488056484380672

6) Yes, while UK🇬🇧 does have an Omicron booster already—but theirs is a BA1 booster, not a BA5 booster like the US’s booster! Is it a big difference? Yes… #BA5 and BA4 are very different variants from the old BA1/BA2 variants. Thus, a #BA5 booster likely is far superior—get it.

https://twitter.com/michaelzlin/status/1541958569762795520

7) I’m not sure when the #BA5 booster will be available in the UK or Europe or Canada. But I anticipate it could be a while in UK since they went ahead with the BA1 booster campaign already. But booster shots are very easy to get in America—most states don’t need residency proof.

https://twitter.com/elizabethrezra/status/1564735947182411780

8) What if you just had a booster or a recent infection? The general rule I’ve seen on CDC website is wait 90 days since last shot or last COVID infection resolution. But I will wait for the final EUA rules that come out soon / this weekend for the new rules for #Ba5 booster.

9) New #BA5 and #BA4-targeting coronavirus booster shots has now gotten EUA from the Food and Drug Administration for age 12+. CDC advisors will vote tomorrow. Rollout imminent within days. Please get boosted. Hope this will get EUA for kids <12 soon.
washingtonpost.com/health/2022/08…