Vaccine Trials

[brett]

Even though we are seniors we really do not think that we will get the vaccination until the Jan/Feb/March timeframe. No doubt healthcare/civil protection workers , and those who are health compromised in some fashion will be first.

[explanade]

I got my first shot of Shingrix earlier this month.

The Safeway pharmacy checked my insurance.

I actually wanted the pneumococcal vaccine. My doctor recommended I get both.

But the pharmacist told me that pneumococcal isn't covered by insurance until age 65 or if you have respiratory problems, in which case you'd need an Rx.

So I got the Shingrix and I would probably get the second shot sometime in mid January or later.

Get that out of the way before covid vaccine.

[MuirWannabe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by explanade I got my first shot of Shingrix earlier this month. The Safeway pharmacy checked my insurance. I actually wanted the pneumococcal vaccine. My doctor recommended I get both. But the pharmacist told me that pneumococcal isn't covered by insurance until age 65 or if you have respiratory problems, in which case you'd need an Rx. So I got the Shingrix and I would probably get the second shot sometime in mid January or later. Get that out of the way before covid vaccine.

Do you know the typical age when insurance (BCBS) starts covering the Shingrix shot?

[HenryD]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuirWannabe Do you know the typical age when insurance (BCBS) starts covering the Shingrix shot?

I am on UHC. My provider started recommending right as I turned 50, but I am not sure the insurance had an age cut off. I got the first shot last month at 51.

[SecondCor521]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuirWannabe Do you know the typical age when insurance (BCBS) starts covering the Shingrix shot?

It varies by insurer. My insurer (Idaho, not BCBS) covered 100% of both Shingrix shots at age 50, but I think that's uncommonly good. You'd have to call your own BCBS and ask to find out your coverage.

[Chuckanut]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB +1 That’ll be my choice as well, as I doubt we consumers will have much choice.

From what I have heard, any vaccine available in 2021 will be improved on over the next 2-5 years. Some labs are already working on version 2.0 that will be more effective and/or last longer. Figure on at least one more shot at some point in this decade.

[CaptTom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuckanut From what I have heard, any vaccine available in 2021 will be improved on over the next 2-5 years. Some labs are already working on version 2.0 that will be more effective and/or last longer. Figure on at least one more shot at some point in this decade.

Agreed. I'll be getting one as soon as I'm allowed/eligible and they're available. If a better one comes out (like they did with the shingles vaccines) I'll get that one when it's available, too. I'm not really concerned about the cost. Probably my insurance will cover it, but if not, I'd pay for it. In the overall picture, the cost, time and inconvenience are trivial compared to the benefit.

I'm not saying anyone else should feel this way. Just my perspective. The great thing is, I don't need to rely on anyone else getting the vaccine if it's as effective as the trials so far have suggested. So those who choose not to won't effect me. This is a win-win, no matter how you feel about vaccines.

[explanade]

Maybe with pandemic fatigue, there might be a greater number of people willing to get the vaccine early than was the case back in early summer.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuirWannabe Do you know the typical age when insurance (BCBS) starts covering the Shingrix shot?

I was able to get it at 100% covered at 59. BCBSTX.

[ransil]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuirWannabe Do you know the typical age when insurance (BCBS) starts covering the Shingrix shot?

I check this yesterday BCBS Mass, website says its covered, but I don't trust it and will call when I go get it.
When in CVS a few weeks ago for the flu shot pharmacist said she checked it and said not covered.

Wife is on UHC and the website there says its covered, way better website than BCBS.

when getting the cost quote avg around $250 is that per shot or for the 2 shots?

[Dtail]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 I was able to get it at 100% covered at 59. BCBSTX.

Same here at 59 with BCBSFL.

[Dtail]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ransil I check this yesterday BCBS Mass, website says its covered, but I don't trust it and will call when I go get it. When in CVS a few weeks ago for the flu shot pharmacist said she checked it and said not covered. Wife is on UHC and the website there says its covered, way better website than BCBS. when getting the cost quote avg around $250 is that per shot or for the 2 shots?

When the cost of 250 is quoted, I am fairly sure it is just for one shot.

[Amethyst]

I asked the hygienist who cleaned my teeth last week, if he was excited about the COVID vaccine. (I was assuming that dental workers would be first in line).

He said didn't want to get it until it had been out for a year.

Somehow, I doubt his employer will want him to wait that long.

[RetireBy90]

This morning (20 Nov) I see reporting that Pfizer will submit for EUA to FDA today. Also reports that FDA has asked the expert panel to set aside 8-10 Dec for a review of the vaccine.

[gerntz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuckanut From what I have heard, any vaccine available in 2021 will be improved on over the next 2-5 years. Some labs are already working on version 2.0 that will be more effective and/or last longer. Figure on at least one more shot at some point in this decade.

I don't doubt there will be 3.0 & 4.0 by 2025. I mean 1.0 took less than a year.

[Go-NoGo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gerntz I don't doubt there will be 3.0 & 4.0 by 2025. I mean 1.0 took less than a year.

I have my doubts that there will be a version 2.0 or 3.0 of the approved vaccines.

If the existing Pfizer or Moderna vaccines are safe and effective, there is very little incentive for them to find a new molecule/RNA fragment. Pharma companies will have to perform new clinical trials to prove safety and efficacy - trials which have 30-40k people are not cheap to run.

Not to mention that once you have mass inoculations, incidence of COVID-19 will decline, finding patients to enroll in these trials will be extremely difficult, and then proving effectiveness will be even harder as patients in the placebo and treatment arms are less likely to be infected. They will have to undergo a challenge trial to prove efficacy, which borders on unethical as you have proven meds that are already available.

If there are new versions, my expectations is it will be a v1.1 where the lipid nanoparticles that are currently being used to encapsulate the mRNA will be reformulated so that it will not require super cold storage. Even this will have to undergo FDA regulatory review for safety/efficacy.

[ivinsfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amethyst I asked the hygienist who cleaned my teeth last week, if he was excited about the COVID vaccine. (I was assuming that dental workers would be first in line). He said didn't want to get it until it had been out for a year. Somehow, I doubt his employer will want him to wait that long.

I don't think waiting a year will be needed. These vaccines are a one off. The large amount of people being vaccinated at once will quickly bring any potential problems in the open.

[sengsational]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB An update on the Oxford / Astra Zeneca vaccine is also positive. BBC reports “ The Oxford coronavirus vaccine shows a strong immune response in adults in their 60s and 70s, raising hopes that it can protect age groups most at risk from the virus.” https://www.bbc.com/news/health-54993652 Refreshingly, the vaccine developers reported in The Lancet, a medical journal, https://www.thelancet.com/journals/l...466-1/fulltext

They appear to be positioning this one as "the fogey vaccine", since there are many references to the older population in this paper.

Quote:

If these responses correlate with protection in humans, these findings are encouraging because older individuals are at disproportionate risk of severe COVID-19 and so any vaccine adopted for use against SARS-CoV-2 must be effective in older adults.

This result is behind the two mRNA vaccines since they used a marker for disease prevention instead of actual disease prevention. Given the smaller study population and the fact that it's adenovirus based, I'm feeling less comfortable with this one, but it will catch-up.

[SecondCor521]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sengsational They appear to be positioning this one as "the fogey vaccine", since there are many references to the older population in this paper. This result is behind the two mRNA vaccines since they used a marker for disease prevention instead of actual disease prevention. Given the smaller study population and the fact that it's adenovirus based, I'm feeling less comfortable with this one, but it will catch-up.

The Lancet article linked about this seemed to be talking about a phase 2 trial. I don't know if phase 3 for this vaccine will be a challenge trial - apparently they do those in England, and I think the "Oxford" in this vaccine means it's partially developed across the pond - or one like Moderna and Pfizer did where it's just a bunch of people going about their daily business. So I think this vaccine is just chronologically behind in terms of development.

[RetireBy90]

Interesting read,



https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/20/cris...nst-covid.html

Quote:

A team of CRISPR scientists at the New York Genome Center, New York University and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai say they have identified the genes that can protect human cells against Covid-19. Leading virologist at Mount Sinai, Dr. Benjamin tenOever, developed a series of human lung cell models for coronavirus screening to better understand immune responses to the disease and co-authored the study. The goal was two-fold: to identify the genes that make human cells more resistant to SARS-CoV-2 virus; and test existing drugs on the market that may help stop the spread of the disease.