California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. COVID-19 is back in the headlines. The latest strain is the NB.1.8.1. The last time I mentioned a strain was the XEC from the Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog December 2024 blog written on Jan 3, 2025. May 2025 was like Jan 2020. More people are wearing masks. May 2025 was faster than Apr 2025.
Thur May 1. China blamed the US for the origin of COVID-19. China said COVID-19 was present in the US earlier than officially announced; in other words, COVID-19 came from the US before the outbreak in China. China accused the US of a lack of effort to defeat COVID-19. The country recognized the World Health Organization (WHO) study COVID-19 was likely transmitted from bats to humans via another animal.
Fri May 2. Health And Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. changed how vaccines are tested. All new vaccines need placebo-controlled clinical trials. Some people receive the actual vaccine. The other people receive the placebo vaccine.
However, flu vaccines are tested by updating the present vaccine with the flu variant. The testing determines an immune response against the variant. The updated COVID-19 vaccines copy the flu vaccines model. mRNA COVID-19 vaccines were designed to easily update for COVID-19 variant strains. The updates take months. Vaccine makers receive the updated COVID-19 strain in the spring. The doses are ready in the fall.
The Food And Drug Administration (FDA) vaccine advisory committee meets in May or Jun to recommend the strains for the next updated vaccine. If the FDA deems Pfizer and Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines as new vaccines, then the doses are unlikely available in the fall. The drugmakers must conduct an actual trial as if the updated vaccine is a new vaccine.
Thur May 8. Ran errands at AAA and Safeway. Visited Calibear Cyber Cafe.
Mon May 12. Shopped at Nob Hill first thing in the morning.
China, Thailand, Singapore, and Taiwan reported increase in COVID-19 cases.
Sat May 17. The FDA approved the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine is the only protein-based COVID-19 vaccine in the US. The full approval is for adults age 65 and older or people age 12 to 64 with an underlying risk condition.
Mon May 19. Ran errands at the post office, Stevens Creek Surplus, REI, Nob Hill, Books, Inc., Costco, and Chevron.
Wed May 21. The FDA told Pfizer and Moderna to add warning labels on their mRNA COVID-19 vaccines about the risk of heart injury side effects. The warnings affect Pfizer and BioNTech Comirnaty vaccine and Moderna Spikevax vaccine. The earlier warning labels specified males age 18 to 24 for Moderna and males age 12 to 17 for Pfizer. The new warning applies to males age 16 to 25 for both vaccines.
The FDA announced a plan to limit future COVID-19 vaccine shots to people over 65 years old or people with an underlying health condition. The change applies to future updated vaccine versions. Annual booster shots are not worth the risk for healthy people. However, vaccine makers can pay for trials to test future updated vaccine versions for younger people or healthier people. The new plan recommendation matches other countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.
There is scientific debate whether annual boosters are necessary for young and healthy children and young adults. Most Americans have immunity from past vaccinations and infections. The Center For Disease Control (CDC) vaccine committee discussed keeping the recommendation people age 6 months and older receive an annual COVID-19 vaccine.
The CDC reported an average of 300 people died each week in the US. The average was 1,000 in Jan 2025.
Thur May 22. The CDC detected the COVID-19 variant NB.1.8.1 from international travelers at airports in CA, WA, and VA. The NB.1.8.1 was detected in New York City. The international travelers came from many countries including Japan, South Korea, France, Thailand, Netherlands, Spain, China, and Taiwan from Apr 22, 2025 to May 12, 2025. OH, RI, and HI reported positive NB.1.8.1 cases.
The variant is dominant in China and parts of Asia. China researchers preliminary research found the variant is no better evading the immune system compared to past strains. However, the variant is more transmissible.
Fri May 23. Ran afternoon errands at Costco. Ran evening errands at Lucky and Nob Hill.
Sun May 25. Shopped at REI first thing in the morning.
Tue May 27. Secretary Kennedy announced healthy children and pregnant women are removed from the CDC's prevention immunization schedule for COVID-19. The immunization schedule is a guide for doctors, insurance coverage, and Medicaid programs which includes government purchasing vaccines.
The latest CDC data reported 13% of children received the latest COVID-19 vaccine as of late Apr 2025. The rate was 14.2% in Apr 2024. 14.4% of pregnant women received the latest COVID-19 vaccine as of late Apr 2025. The rate was 12.3% in Apr 2024.
Thur May 29. Shopped for used books at the Saratoga Library and Los Gatos Library. Visited Sports Basement and Books, Inc.
Fri May 30. The CDC updated the COVID-19 prevention immunization schedule for children. Children from 6 months to 17 years old get the vaccines after consulting with a health care provider called shared decision making. Pregnant women don't have any guidance or recommendations.
The shared decision making is patients must consult with a health care provider about the COVID-19 vaccine. A provider is anyone who can administered vaccines including doctors, nurses, and pharmacists. The shared decision making vaccines must be covered by insurance. Immunocompromised people also qualify.
The FDA approved the Moderna mNEXSPIKE (mRNA-1283) vaccine. The vaccine is for adults age 65 and older or people age 12 to 64 with an underlying risk condition.
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