Moderna is charging the government something less than $40 per dose. When you add on the pharmacist’s service, my guess is it still would cost less than $100, with no insurance or subsidy. I’m happy to pay that.
I’m wondering what happens when the government stops paying for the vaccine, on April 5. I guess most insurance will still cover it.
They’d be stupid not to. And I’ll bet they negotiate a better deal with pharma than the government did.
The wife returned home yesterday morning, a week late after ending up spending five weeks in Thailand. Doing well. No loss of taste or smell. Rather tired, but that’s probably jet lag.
Friday night at midnight, Hawaii became the last state to abolish its state-sanctioned mask mandate. Individual businesses still have the power to require them. The bus is requiring them through at least mid-April. I think schools may be keeping them too.
I’m going to be at an old lady thing in Tucson in July. I will probably get my second Moderna booster the first week of April. I live a low risk lifestyle as do most old ladies nowadays but it wouldn’t do to bring the plague into a needlework convention. I wouldn’t bother otherwise.
| Case count update as of | 3/29/2022 | 03:27 GMT |
|---|---|---|
| Worldwide: | ||
| Total cases | 483,777,493 | |
| Dead | 6,151,979 | |
| Recovered | 417,955,830 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 789.2 | |
| In the US: | ||
| Total cases | 81,657,854 | |
| Dead | 1,004,243 | |
| Recovered | 64,682,673 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 3,003 | |
| Differences since last time | ||
| Worldwide: | ||
| Total cases | 2,540,307.0 | |
| Dead | 5,998.0 | |
| Recovered | 2,636,127.0 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 0.7 | |
| In the US: | ||
| Total cases | 40,918.0 | |
| Dead | 818.0 | |
| Recovered | 413,697.0 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 2.0 | |
| Last Time’s Numbers | 3/27/2022 | 01:56 GMT |
| Worldwide: | ||
| Total cases | 481,237,186 | |
| Dead | 6,145,981 | |
| Recovered | 415,319,703 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 788.5 | |
| In the US: | ||
| Total cases | 81,616,936 | |
| Dead | 1,003,425 | |
| Recovered | 64,268,976 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 3001 |
The FDA authorizes second booster shots for adults age 50 and older.
Does this mean an extension of the government paying for this additional shot? And for those of us who’ve already had a second booster, how long should we wait until we get a third booster?
I don’t think it extends the payments. But most insurance pays for approved vaccines. But the feds failed to fund the must recent covid bill, so i don’t think there’s any more money coming from the feds for this.
They authorized a 4th shot for those over 50 (but will not recommend it, just allow it for those who chose it) and a fifth shot for the immune compromised. The WaPo article is pretty good about who might want to do what, IMO.
FDA authorizes second coronavirus booster shot for people 50 and older
It doesn’t say when immune compromised people might want to get a fifth shot. My guess is 4 months, but ask your doctor if it affects you.
Also, it’s possible the CDC won’t exactly follow the FDA. We’ll see.
Hmm, but it seems the government has already bought enough doses for the expected demand
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/fda-authorizes-second-booster-pfizerbiontech-covid-shot-2022-03-29/
Biden administration officials have said that the U.S. government currently has enough doses of the vaccines to meet the demand for another round of booster shots in older Americans, even as funding for the U.S. pandemic response has all but run out.
But, it also says:
They say that unless Congress approves more spending, the government will not be likely to be able to be pay for future inoculations, if they are needed, particularly if the vaccines need to be redesigned to target new variants.
Our deaths per million keep increasing.
| Case count update as of | 3/30/2022 | 02:52 GMT |
|---|---|---|
| Worldwide: | ||
| Total cases | 485,550,064 | |
| Dead | 6,157,114 | |
| Recovered | 420,720,293 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 789.9 | |
| In the US: | ||
| Total cases | 81,686,628 | |
| Dead | 1,005,056 | |
| Recovered | 64,876,974 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 3,006 | |
| Differences since last time | ||
| Worldwide: | ||
| Total cases | 1,772,571.0 | |
| Dead | 5,135.0 | |
| Recovered | 2,764,463.0 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 0.7 | |
| In the US: | ||
| Total cases | 28,774.0 | |
| Dead | 813.0 | |
| Recovered | 194,301.0 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 3.0 | |
| Last Time’s Numbers | 3/29/2022 | 03:27 GMT |
| Worldwide: | ||
| Total cases | 483,777,493 | |
| Dead | 6,151,979 | |
| Recovered | 417,955,830 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 789.2 | |
| In the US: | ||
| Total cases | 81,657,854 | |
| Dead | 1,004,243 | |
| Recovered | 64,682,673 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 3,003 |
You expect it to stay the same? They only update the population figures maybe once per year. That is, if they’re using Census estimates and not the last Census. But the number of deaths keeps increasing. That figure can’t do anything but increase.
I’m apparently not thinking clearly. You’re right.
There is a new study of studies on the efficacy and longevity of the four major vaccines. The paper is not yet peer reviewed, though. Here is the Nature News report on it.
COVID vaccines: head-to-head comparison reveals how they stack up (nature.com)
The upshot appears to be that the mRNA vaccines “outperform” J&J and Novavax. Not startling news, but the study is the most comprehensive to-date.
| Case count update as of | 3/31/2022 | 02:04 GMT |
|---|---|---|
| Worldwide: | ||
| Total cases | 487,091,409 | |
| Dead | 6,162,086 | |
| Recovered | 421,968,507 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 790.5 | |
| In the US: | ||
| Total cases | 81,740,722 | |
| Dead | 1,006,445 | |
| Recovered | 65,073,099 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 3,010 | |
| Differences since last time | ||
| Worldwide: | ||
| Total cases | 1,541,345.0 | |
| Dead | 4,972.0 | |
| Recovered | 1,248,214.0 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 0.6 | |
| In the US: | ||
| Total cases | 54,094.0 | |
| Dead | 1,389.0 | |
| Recovered | 196,125.0 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 4.0 | |
| Last Time’s Numbers | 3/30/2022 | 02:52 GMT |
| Worldwide: | ||
| Total cases | 485,550,064 | |
| Dead | 6,157,114 | |
| Recovered | 420,720,293 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 789.9 | |
| In the US: | ||
| Total cases | 81,686,628 | |
| Dead | 1,005,056 | |
| Recovered | 64,876,974 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 3,006 |
| Case count update as of | 4/1/2022 | 01:55 GMT |
|---|---|---|
| Worldwide: | ||
| Total cases | 488,566,474 | |
| Dead | 6,166,976 | |
| Recovered | 423,374,275 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 791.2 | |
| In the US: | ||
| Total cases | 81,780,503 | |
| Dead | 1,007,320 | |
| Recovered | 65,236,840 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 3,012 | |
| Differences since last time | ||
| Worldwide: | ||
| Total cases | 1,475,065.0 | |
| Dead | 4,890.0 | |
| Recovered | 1,405,768.0 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 0.7 | |
| In the US: | ||
| Total cases | 39,781.0 | |
| Dead | 875.0 | |
| Recovered | 163,741.0 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 2.0 | |
| Last Time’s Numbers | 3/31/2022 | 02:04 GMT |
| Worldwide: | ||
| Total cases | 487,091,409 | |
| Dead | 6,162,086 | |
| Recovered | 421,968,507 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 790.5 | |
| In the US: | ||
| Total cases | 81,740,722 | |
| Dead | 1,006,445 | |
| Recovered | 65,073,099 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 3,010 |
Well, here are the latest infection figures from the UK:
That’s 1 person in 13. A week ago it was 4.3 million and 1 in 16. The Office for National Statistics seems to be updating on Fridays (and the BBC reporting same) so I’ll try to remember to keep an eye open.
A week ago I said: " whilst rates of hospitalization are rising, usage of ventilator support has barely increased." The same is true today. It’s an odd situation - we were out at a comedy gig last night, in a room with just under a thousand people. I suppose the two extreme ways of looking at that:are (1) life’s gotta go on, right? and (2) have you lost your mind? With the “truth” somewhere in between.
j
| Case count update as of | 4/2/2022 | 03:08 GMT |
|---|---|---|
| Worldwide: | ||
| Total cases | 490,054,929 | |
| Dead | 6,171,321 | |
| Recovered | 424,539,662 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 791.7 | |
| In the US: | ||
| Total cases | 81,813,515 | |
| Dead | 1,007,989 | |
| Recovered | 65,382,991 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 3,014 | |
| Differences since last time | ||
| Worldwide: | ||
| Total cases | 1,488,455.0 | |
| Dead | 4,345.0 | |
| Recovered | 1,165,387.0 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 0.5 | |
| In the US: | ||
| Total cases | 33,012.0 | |
| Dead | 669.0 | |
| Recovered | 146,151.0 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 2.0 | |
| Last Time’s Numbers | 4/1/2022 | 01:55 GMT |
| Worldwide: | ||
| Total cases | 488,566,474 | |
| Dead | 6,166,976 | |
| Recovered | 423,374,275 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 791.2 | |
| In the US: | ||
| Total cases | 81,780,503 | |
| Dead | 1,007,320 | |
| Recovered | 65,236,840 | |
| Deaths / 1M pop | 3,012 |
It’s been a bit so I’ll say Thank You to @Morgyn for taking up the mantle on reporting.
I actually took the time to message my primary not-a-doc Nurse PA. One of her people messaged me back afterwards saying check back this coming week because… you know, govt/state/USA conflicts. She acknowledged I was in the timeframe to get a 2nd booster (J&J, Moderna booster) but told me to write back next week. Apparently my lil doc in the box/community health spot has been giving vax every Friday.
I wanted Pfizer but I’ll take a second Moderna…
Since this is breaking news: other than my PA agreeing way back when I needed a shot: ugggh… still not sure if/whem I’ll get my 3rd shot.
Seconded!
Thirded.
Thanks, folks.
I’d been mumbling to myself that I wished somebody would take over the reporting since it appeared 'Bo wasn’t coming back, and suddenly I thought, “Well, I’m someone. What’s stopping me?”
I kinda miss 'Bo and his stupid quarry, though.