US changes vaccine policy for expecting moms as new variant makes its way into country
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the NB.1.8.1 strain is particularly prevalent in the eastern Mediterranean and western Pacific regions, though some cases have entered the United States.
Posted 9:09 PM yesterday
Carly Haynes, WRAL reporter & The Associated Press
A new COVID-19 variant is driving up cases around the world amid a shift in vaccine guidance.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the NB.1.8.1 strain is particularly prevalent in the eastern Mediterranean and western Pacific regions, though some cases have entered the United States.
It’s one of several strains currently circulating derived from the Omicron variant, though doctors aren’t any more concerned.
Epidemiologists tend to look for specific shifts in the virus, such as strains that can circumvent current immunity or vaccine efficacy, or if they bring newer and more severe symptoms.
“I don't think there's been much data that any of the newer variants, including maybe some that are getting some attention now, really are a big departure,” said Dr. David Wohl, an infectious disease physician at UNC Health.
On Wednesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced via social media that the nation’s top health authority will no longer include the COVID-19 vaccine on the recommended immunization schedule for healthy children and healthy pregnant women.
The change means insurance companies may no longer cover the shots for those groups.
“So that's a concern,” Dr. Wohl said. “Remember, younger children haven't been exposed necessarily to the virus, right? And babies, certainly not, because they haven't been around long enough.”
At the same time, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced plans to adjust its framework for vaccine eligibility and rollout for future shots. The change would mean only those 65 and up or those considered high-risk could get the vaccine, as opposed to nearly everyone being able to get one every year.
“The worst case scenario is that there is a big shift and that the virus changes in a way that deviates from the pathway, where we are no longer enjoying the protection we have now,” Dr. Wohl said.
Those considered high-risk include those facing obesity, diabetes, or asthma, though the criteria are broad. Someone who is physically inactive is also characterized as being high-risk.
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