Should I wait for the updated covid vaccine for my 8 month old?

[truebornagain]

I’m thinking about getting my 8 month old vaccinated next week with the first dose of the current covid vaccine. However, I heard that there’s a new vaccine coming out in September or October that will target the Omicron XBB sub variants…should I wait for that one since it’s the most up to date? Or should I prioritize getting her vaccinated? I guess my concern is giving her a vaccine that is out of date and not very effective for the current covid strains going around right now.

 

[jl090812]

@truebornagain I’d get the first dose now and plan to get XBB dose as the second dose when it’s available.

Assuming CDC opts to continue the same 4-8 week schedule for the second dose, you’re looking at October to get the second dose regardless.

Alternatively, Baby is completely unprotected until 2 weeks after you get the first dose and then not well protected until 4-8 weeks after that (4-8 weeks waiting and then 2 weeks for vaccine effectiveness.)

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-...-immunization-schedule-ages-6months-older.pdf

 

[committhyway]

@truebornagain I know it’s difficult, but I think the evidence suggests it’s a better idea to wait. The new vaccine contains protections against the XBB-lineage of the Omicron variant. The newer Covid variant Eris (EG.5) that is spreading shares a spike amino acid profile with one of the XBB sub variants (XBB.1.5), so this vaccine should offer better protection against it than previous vaccines, as well as Omicron, which is still dominant. The vaccine should be in pharmacies by late next month and readily available by October.

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2023/08/15...s-across-world-heres-what-we-know-so-far.html

 

[kamga]

@committhyway All of the "new" variants are just different flavors of Omicron. They're not actually separate variants and the little nicknames like Eris aren't official. I think this is confusing people into thinking they're substantially different than Omicron, which they aren't really. The newer boosters coming out this fall are considered better mostly because they don't contain OG covid, which isn't circulating anymore, but both the bivalent vaccines available now and the new boosters will protect against any Omicron strains pretty well.

You're right that the fall boosters should be a little better tailored to currently circulating strains than currently available vaccines, but it's a smaller leap than from the original covid vaccines to the bivalent boosters, for example.

 

[committhyway]

@kamga I think what you are arguing is more confusing. Omicron isn’t an official name either, but you are using it and at least I included the official name of the Eris subvariant as well as the subvariant lineage. The newer vaccine offers better protection against EG.5, the dominant strain in the US, and the XBB subvariants, which is what OP is specifically asking about and why it makes more beneficial to get the newer vaccine, once it is released. No one asked about the differences between the original vaccine and what we have now.

 

[kamga]

@committhyway Omicron (and the other Greek letter names like Delta etc) is an official designation from the WHO for a variant that rises to the level of Variant of Concern. The subsequent descendants like EG.5 and XBB.1.5 haven't risen to that level because they're not substantially different enough from their ancestor (Omicron), so they haven't officially been given names. News outlets and private citizens have taken it on themselves to name these newer lineages anyway to make them easier to talk about, but they're all still very similar to every other Omicron variant. In the future if there are significant new variants that emerge and are substantially different from Omicron they'll probably move to a new Greek letter.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/worl...-to-track-omicron-s-rapid-evolution-1.6780791

This probably does seem nitpicky but I mention it because when we're making decisions that weigh different factors against each other, like the risk of waiting to get vaccinated vs how well the new vaccines will match currently circulating strains, it can be useful to look at not just which option is better, but how much better it is.

So you are absolutely correct that the newer vaccines coming out October will be better, but they're not going to be a lot better, because they're already pretty good! It's up to OP if that difference is worth waiting a month or so. If we were having this same conversation last year, the difference between the old and new vaccines was a lot bigger, so the calculation might be different. I mentioned the leap from the original vaccines to the bivalent boosters in 2022 as a comparison. This leap is less dramatic because it's all still Omicron. We're also talking about a child who hasn't had any covid vaccines yet, so going without protection for those few months could be a big deal, and it could make it worth it to settle for what's available now instead of waiting for the "better" option.

 

[committhyway]

@kamga WHO declared EG.5 as a “variant of interest” and may very well go on to label it as a “variant of concern” in due time as it continues to travel the world; you are being needlessly nitpicky about this naming issue and complicating it, and the question OP asked, for no discernible reason. EG.5 is fast-spreading and the most prevalent strain in the US, which OP seems aware of and is why they specifically asked about protections from the XBB lineage.

You can argue about additional factors to consider, but the evidence still suggests it is better to wait; obviously taking precautions (either way!) in the mean time is indicated.

“The current boosters contain both the original virus and two variants BA.4 and BA.5, none of which are still circulating. The vaccines still hold up pretty well against severe disease, but are not thought to be very effective against getting the virus at all.”

“The current boosters contain both the original virus and two variants BA.4 and BA.5, none of which are still circulating. The vaccines still hold up pretty well against severe disease, but are not thought to be very effective against getting the virus at all.”

“Ratner also advises parents to make sure their kids are vaccinated with the new booster if it's recommended for children.”

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsa...a-booster-now-or-wait-for-the-new-fall-booste

 

[kamga]

@committhyway That article is comparing getting a booster now vs a booster later, which is not the scenario in OP's question. Also, FYI, it is not necessary to downvote someone simply because you disagree with them. I think I've been pretty civil, if you don't wish to continue the conversation we can just agree to disagree.

 

[ezzeking]

@truebornagain I would talk to your pediatrician and see what they say. Mine recommended waiting for the updated one given that I am a SAHM, and Covid is low in our area right now.

 

[jacknorth]

@truebornagain I have heard it’s better to wait but I have a 7 month old that has just gotten one dose of the old one. My other kid goes to daycare so it’s just a matter of time before we all get it again. I figure he can get the better one later. But I’m the kind of person that wants every vaccine ever. I couldn’t wait I was just so excited that he was old enough.

 

[neilhall]

@truebornagain Hii what country are you in? I’m in the U.K. and unsure when I can get my baby vaccinated?

 

[minrice]

@neilhall As someone in the UK, yeah, the vaccine offer in the UK is pretty unclear. From my own research, they're currently vaccinating children aged 6 months to 4 years if the child falls within a clinical risk group (listed here). If this is the case, the NHS ask that you wait to be contacted to arrange this.

If not, the vaccine isn't available until the child is five years old and then only at particular times of the year (the most recent was over the Easter holidays) and again it was a "wait to be contacted" thing. Whether the vaccine will still be offered on the NHS at age five by the time our babies are that age is an open question but hopefully by then it'll be available privately if not, like the flu jab or the chickenpox vaccine.

 

[neilhall]

@minrice Yes I think it’s crazy it’s not offered on the nhs or privately. Like, I want to vaccinate my 6 month old and I can’t believe I’m not able to………
I’m paying for the chicken pox vaccine for sure!

 

[truebornagain]

Thank you everyone for your insight! I talked to my pediatrician and they recommended getting the current vaccine as the first dose and then getting the new one as a second dose when it comes out. Hopefully that will work out for us!