美国疫苗接种计划若想取得成功,则必须保证每个人都能够在三至四周间隔后顺利接种第二剂疫苗。然而近期的一项研究表明,许多人可能无法进行二次注射,因而也无法满足最大免疫条件。
该项研究发表于12月14日,主要调查了带状疱疹病毒疫苗的接种情况。研究发现,四分之一的医疗保险患者在第一次注射后的六个月内没有得到第二次注射。
当然,受益于日渐增高的健康风险意识,新冠疫苗接种者的完整接种率显然会高于其他疫苗。但研究人员依旧警告称,疫苗接种工作可能会遭遇诸多障碍,既可能是接种者自身疏忽,也有可能是客观的收入、年龄及生活状况所致。
当前,美国的多个州已经进入完全失控状态,大量不规范、不完整的疫苗接种可能反而会加剧控制新冠疫情的难度,还可能会导致更高的死亡率及住院率。
更糟糕的是,研究人员还发现带状疱疹后续疫苗接种率在特定人群中明显要低很多,西班牙裔、非洲裔及亚裔接种者的接种率分别仅为58%、61%及69%。与此同时,只有64%的低收入接种者及66%的残疾接种者会自主安排第二次注射。
“这显然对疫苗接种工作有不利影响。”研究报告撰写人之一、凯萨家庭基金会(Kaiser Family Foundation)负责医疗保险政策事宜的副主任朱丽叶·库班斯基说:“这类群体又恰恰最受疫情影响之苦,无论重症率还是死亡率都很高。”
相较于症状难熬但致死率极低的带状疱疹病毒,新冠病毒则要凶险很多。所幸后者每天都在新闻里反复出现,所以接种者不太容易会忘记进行二次接种。
要想保证二次接种率,美国需要做的是“抢时间”。目前美国已经投入使用两种疫苗分别来自Moderna和辉瑞(Pfizer)及BioNTech公司,这两种疫苗都要求接种者在接种第一剂后的三到四周内再打第二针。相较而言,带状疱疹病毒疫苗所需要的间隔周期有6周,时间更为充裕,而新冠疫苗的时间更为紧张。根据库班斯基的说法,越是延后注射疫苗,接种者就越容易忽略后续注射。
此外,上文所提及的接种者收入、年龄及生活状况等因素依然需要被纳入考量。
原因之一是,在美国的医疗保健系统中,各类支出相当繁杂,不可预测、难以避免。库班斯基说,Shingrix每剂疫苗的费用需要部分自担,一些人因此不愿意再接种第二剂。相比之下,新冠病毒疫苗将无需美国民众自付费用,即使是2900万没有医疗保险的美国民众,也能够免费接种。但库班斯基担心,一些人可能没有意识到他们可以免费接种疫苗。
她说:“现在的症结是,即使无需付出任何实际成本,一些人担心需要为疫苗自掏腰包。他们可能没有意识到疫苗其实是免费的。”
交通也可能成为问题。残障人士、低收入者及农村地区的美国民众难以抵达接种地点,去一次都很难,更遑论接种两次了。就全美来说,农村地区的流感疫苗接种率最低,在某些情况下甚至低至25%,距离太远是其中一大原因。
另外,库班斯基担心,一些新冠病毒疫苗接种者在第一次疫苗接种后产生不良反应,也会不愿意继续接种第二剂。不良反应并不常见,但其实辉瑞和Moderna的疫苗都有可能引起轻微的肌肉酸痛、疲劳或低烧。
库班斯基说:“这些副作用根本不是‘得病的迹象’,而是疫苗已经开始起作用的迹象。这一点需要明确。”
从医学上讲,辉瑞及Moderna的疫苗根本不可能传播新冠病毒。虽然一些疫苗使用的是其针对病毒的弱化版本,但新冠疫苗使用了一种新技术,无需使用任何病毒物质就能够触发免疫。
除此之外,还有一个原因:美国没有统一的系统来确保患者可以接种第二剂疫苗。所以如何落实?责任将落在每个个人接种者及提供接种服务的医疗机构身上。
据预计,门诊诊所将是主要的疫苗接种地点,沃尔格林(Walgreens)和CVS经营的诊所就包含其中。沃尔格林表示,它们将用各种办法,来确保后续接种的落实,例如在接种者第一次注射时就提前预约第二次注射,并通过信件、电子邮件和语音邮件等方式提醒接种者。
与新冠疫情的方方面面一样,“错失二次接种”的影响超出了个人层面。试验数据表明,Moderna或辉瑞疫苗的单剂剂量能够提供的显著保护,但若接种第二剂,保护力度会大得多,持续的时间也可能会更长。如果大批民众未能接种第二剂疫苗,可能需要更长的时间才可以达到阻止传播和全球疫情所需的全民免疫水平。(财富中文网)
编译:陈怡轩、杨二一
美国疫苗接种计划若想取得成功,则必须保证每个人都能够在三至四周间隔后顺利接种第二剂疫苗。然而近期的一项研究表明,许多人可能无法进行二次注射,因而也无法满足最大免疫条件。
该项研究发表于12月14日,主要调查了带状疱疹病毒疫苗的接种情况。研究发现,四分之一的医疗保险患者在第一次注射后的六个月内没有得到第二次注射。
当然,受益于日渐增高的健康风险意识,新冠疫苗接种者的完整接种率显然会高于其他疫苗。但研究人员依旧警告称,疫苗接种工作可能会遭遇诸多障碍,既可能是接种者自身疏忽,也有可能是客观的收入、年龄及生活状况所致。
当前,美国的多个州已经进入完全失控状态,大量不规范、不完整的疫苗接种可能反而会加剧控制新冠疫情的难度,还可能会导致更高的死亡率及住院率。
更糟糕的是,研究人员还发现带状疱疹后续疫苗接种率在特定人群中明显要低很多,西班牙裔、非洲裔及亚裔接种者的接种率分别仅为58%、61%及69%。与此同时,只有64%的低收入接种者及66%的残疾接种者会自主安排第二次注射。
“这显然对疫苗接种工作有不利影响。”研究报告撰写人之一、凯萨家庭基金会(Kaiser Family Foundation)负责医疗保险政策事宜的副主任朱丽叶·库班斯基说:“这类群体又恰恰最受疫情影响之苦,无论重症率还是死亡率都很高。”
相较于症状难熬但致死率极低的带状疱疹病毒,新冠病毒则要凶险很多。所幸后者每天都在新闻里反复出现,所以接种者不太容易会忘记进行二次接种。
要想保证二次接种率,美国需要做的是“抢时间”。目前美国已经投入使用两种疫苗分别来自Moderna和辉瑞(Pfizer)及BioNTech公司,这两种疫苗都要求接种者在接种第一剂后的三到四周内再打第二针。相较而言,带状疱疹病毒疫苗所需要的间隔周期有6周,时间更为充裕,而新冠疫苗的时间更为紧张。根据库班斯基的说法,越是延后注射疫苗,接种者就越容易忽略后续注射。
此外,上文所提及的接种者收入、年龄及生活状况等因素依然需要被纳入考量。
原因之一是,在美国的医疗保健系统中,各类支出相当繁杂,不可预测、难以避免。库班斯基说,Shingrix每剂疫苗的费用需要部分自担,一些人因此不愿意再接种第二剂。相比之下,新冠病毒疫苗将无需美国民众自付费用,即使是2900万没有医疗保险的美国民众,也能够免费接种。但库班斯基担心,一些人可能没有意识到他们可以免费接种疫苗。
她说:“现在的症结是,即使无需付出任何实际成本,一些人担心需要为疫苗自掏腰包。他们可能没有意识到疫苗其实是免费的。”
交通也可能成为问题。残障人士、低收入者及农村地区的美国民众难以抵达接种地点,去一次都很难,更遑论接种两次了。就全美来说,农村地区的流感疫苗接种率最低,在某些情况下甚至低至25%,距离太远是其中一大原因。
另外,库班斯基担心,一些新冠病毒疫苗接种者在第一次疫苗接种后产生不良反应,也会不愿意继续接种第二剂。不良反应并不常见,但其实辉瑞和Moderna的疫苗都有可能引起轻微的肌肉酸痛、疲劳或低烧。
库班斯基说:“这些副作用根本不是‘得病的迹象’,而是疫苗已经开始起作用的迹象。这一点需要明确。”
从医学上讲,辉瑞及Moderna的疫苗根本不可能传播新冠病毒。虽然一些疫苗使用的是其针对病毒的弱化版本,但新冠疫苗使用了一种新技术,无需使用任何病毒物质就能够触发免疫。
除此之外,还有一个原因:美国没有统一的系统来确保患者可以接种第二剂疫苗。所以如何落实?责任将落在每个个人接种者及提供接种服务的医疗机构身上。
据预计,门诊诊所将是主要的疫苗接种地点,沃尔格林(Walgreens)和CVS经营的诊所就包含其中。沃尔格林表示,它们将用各种办法,来确保后续接种的落实,例如在接种者第一次注射时就提前预约第二次注射,并通过信件、电子邮件和语音邮件等方式提醒接种者。
与新冠疫情的方方面面一样,“错失二次接种”的影响超出了个人层面。试验数据表明,Moderna或辉瑞疫苗的单剂剂量能够提供的显著保护,但若接种第二剂,保护力度会大得多,持续的时间也可能会更长。如果大批民众未能接种第二剂疫苗,可能需要更长的时间才可以达到阻止传播和全球疫情所需的全民免疫水平。(财富中文网)
编译:陈怡轩、杨二一
Success for the huge COVID-19 U.S. vaccination program now underway hinges on people getting two doses, separated by three to four weeks. But a recent study suggests that many people may fail to get their second injection, which is necessary to build maximum immunity.
The research, published Dec. 14, focused on a vaccine to prevent the viral skin condition known as shingles. It found that one in four Medicare patients missed getting their second dose within six months of their initial one.
Recipients of the two COVID-19 vaccines currently approved for use may be more likely to complete their immunizations than those in the study, for reasons including greater perceived health risk if they don't. But the authors of the new study caution that many of the same barriers will be at work: not just patient negligence, but also poverty, age, and isolation.
A high number of incomplete vaccinations could make it harder to stem the coronavirus and end the pandemic, which is spreading out of control in most states. It could also lead to more deaths and hospitalizations than there otherwise would be.
To make matters worse, the study found that follow-up vaccination rates for the shingles were much lower for certain groups. Only 58% of Hispanic patients, 61% of Black patients, and 69% of Asian patients received a second dose. Meanwhile, only 64% of low-income patients and 66% of disabled patients returned for their second doses.
“This obviously has some troubling implications for the COVID vaccine,” says Juliette Cubanski, one of the study’s authors and deputy director for Medicare policy at KFF, formerly the Kaiser Family Foundation. “These groups are among the hardest hit in terms of getting seriously ill and dying from COVID.”
There are important differences between Shingrix, the shingles vaccine, and the coronavirus vaccines. Most obviously, while shingles can be extremely painful and even debilitating, it is rarely life-threatening. And with the coronavirus in the news every single day, there will be fewer chances for patients to simply forget their second dose.
Another factor that points to higher second-dose rates for the COVID vaccines is timing. Patients could wait up to six months for their second dose of Shingrix, but both COVID vaccines currently being administered—one from Moderna and another from Pfizer-BioNTech—require a second shot within three to four weeks. According to Cubanski, the longer Shingrix delay may have made it easier for patients to overlook their follow-up shot.
But other factors that prevented patients from getting their full course of Shingrix will still be in effect when it comes to the COVID vaccines.
One is the complex and often unpredictable payments that are inextricable from American health care. The Shingrix vaccine required an out-of-pocket copayment for each dose, which Cubanski says may have discouraged some people from getting a second one. By contrast, the coronavirus vaccine is expected to require no payment from U.S. recipients, even for the 29 million Americans without health insurance. But Cubanski worries that people may not realize that they can get immunized at no cost.
“People’s concern about having to pay something out of pocket might be an issue, even if there is no actual cost," she says. "They might not be aware that the vaccine is actually free.”
Transportation will also likely be an issue. Disabled, low-income, or rural Americans in particular may have difficulty reaching a vaccination site not just once, but twice. Rural areas have some of America’s lowest influenza vaccination rates—as low as 25% in some cases—partly because of distance.
Finally, Cubanski is concerned that some coronavirus vaccine recipients will be discouraged from following through on their second dose after an adverse reaction to the first one. Though the reactions don’t appear to be common, both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines can cause mild muscle soreness, fatigue, or low fever.
“These side effects are a sign that the vaccine is working, and not a sign that you have been infected with the virus and now have the disease,” says Cubanski. “That’s an important message to get across.”
In fact, it is medically impossible for the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines to transmit the virus behind COVID-19. While some vaccines use weakened versions of the virus they protect against, the new COVID vaccines use a new technique to trigger immunity without using any viral material.
Meanwhile, there is no single system in the U.S. to ensure that patients get their second dose. That responsibility will fall on individual recipients and the various health providers administering the vaccine.
One major vaccination site is expected to be outpatient clinics, including those run by Walgreens and CVS. Walgreens says it will use a variety of techniques to ensure follow-up doses, including scheduling an appointment for a second dose when the first one is administered, and sending patients reminders via mail, email, and voicemail.
As with most aspects of the coronavirus pandemic, these challenges have implications beyond the individual who misses his or her second dose. Trial data indicates that a single dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines provide significant protection from the coronavirus, but a second dose makes that protection much higher and likely longer-lasting. If enough people miss their second vaccine doses, it could take significantly longer to reach the population-wide immunity level needed to stop the virus from circulating and end the pandemic.