Updated versions of COVID-19 vaccines are now available at pharmacies and clinics in the St. Louis region after the federal Food and Drug Administration approved them for emergency use in August.
Health workers recommend everyone seek the vaccine, especially as new mutations of the virus have circulated in the region this summer.
I鈥檝e heard there is a new vaccine? Where can I find it?
The FDA last summer to new versions of COVID-19 vaccines that are by now familiar to many: the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines. Those vaccines, widely available at local pharmacies, work by using a piece of genetic material that matches genetic material from the coronavirus. It teaches a cell to make antibodies that correspond to the virus, which prepares the body to fight a potential infection.
Those latest vaccines are tailored to a more recent variant of the virus known as KP.2, which over the summer, said Catherine Gilmore, a pharmacist and professor at the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis.
The coronavirus 鈥渒ind of outsmarts our immune system and changes a little bit, which is why we have different strains,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t's why we keep coming up with new vaccines to treat those strains.鈥�
The FDA also approved a new vaccine from the drugmaker Novavax that is more similar to a traditional non-mRNA immunization. FDA has authorized it for emergency use only in people 12 and older.
Of the Novavax vaccine, Huelskoetter said, 鈥淵ou kind of need to search for it a little bit more,鈥�
That鈥檚 because many pharmacies don鈥檛 want to buy different types of vaccines for different age groups, she said. Those who want that vaccine can find which pharmacies carry it on the .
Has the coronavirus been spreading more? Are more people getting sick?
More people are visiting the doctor with coronavirus symptoms, said Beth Huelskoetter, a nurse practitioner at OSF HealthCare in Godfrey.
鈥淩ight now we're in an uptick,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e're definitely seeing more positive cases, and it's kind of following the same pattern that you would think of with flu or cold and flu season.鈥�
Summer saw an increase in the prevalence of the coronavirus, she said. That鈥檚 slightly unusual, since most respiratory viruses spread in the colder months.
In the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Region 7, which includes Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas, one in five tests in early September , a higher rate than in other parts of the country.
Wastewater data from the University of Missouri and the state鈥檚 Department of Health and Senior Services shows the levels of COVID-19 in the state鈥檚 sewersheds until early August. The levels have begun to decrease 鈥� according to the CDC.
Who should get the vaccine, and when should they schedule their shot?
Health officials recommend everyone get a vaccine, particularly those who are immunocompromised or older.
鈥淗aving a normal, functioning immune system, it's still good to get boosted if it's been a while,鈥� Gilmore said. 鈥淏ut for those that are immunocompromised, if they maybe have a condition or take a medicine that weakens their immune system, it's more important that they get this updated covid vaccine to help boost their immune response if they do come in contact with coronavirus.鈥�
One of the few groups that should hold off is those who have had recent COVID-19 infections, she said. The federal government recommends waiting at least three months since testing positive before getting an updated vaccine.
People who have recently received a COVID-19 immunization also should wait.
What happens if I get sick? Have guidelines changed?
Earlier this year, the CDC updated its guidelines for how people who test positive for the coronavirus should respond. The agency claims new guidelines are more in line with those for the flu and other common respiratory illnesses.
Not everyone agrees with the new policy. Public health experts . However, federal health officials said the changing virus is much less deadly than it was in the past.
鈥淐DC鈥檚 updated guidance reflects how the circumstances around COVID-19 in particular have changed,鈥� officials from the agency wrote in March. 鈥淲hile it remains a threat, today it is far less likely to cause severe illness because of widespread immunity and improved tools to prevent and treat the disease.鈥�
People sick with any respiratory virus, including COVID-19, should stay home when they鈥檙e sick, the new guidelines state. People can return to regular activities if their symptoms are improving and if they haven鈥檛 had a fever for 24 hours. Even then, it鈥檚 recommended that people wear masks and keep their distance from others, if possible.
鈥淵ou have 鈥� the highest rate of passing it on when you have a fever,鈥� Huelskoetter said. 鈥淲hen your body develops a fever, it is trying to fight that infection with all it has. And so that's when you know you're kind of like at your sickest.鈥�
People who test positive but don鈥檛 have symptoms should wear masks and take other precautions while monitoring symptoms and continuing to test themselves before being around others.
Can I still get vaccines or coronavirus tests for free?
The federal government last month announced it鈥檚 bringing back the free coronavirus test program. Starting later this month, each household will be able to order up to four COVID tests for free through COVIDtests.gov.
Vaccines are more complicated. The federal 鈥渂ridge access鈥� program that offered vaccines for free to uninsured people and those whose plans didn鈥檛 cover the shots ended when funding ran out, Gilmore said.
People who have insurance will most likely be able to get immunized for free, but uninsured people will need to search for options at community health centers or through local health departments.
A limited amount of the new COVID vaccines will soon be available for those without insurance at St. Louis County health department clinics, she said.
