TWiV 1222: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin
This Week in Virology
Vaccination Policy Shifts and Public Health Implications
This chapter explores recent changes in vaccination policies, particularly regarding COVID-19 vaccines for children and pregnant women, highlighting concerns over bypassing standard approval processes. The discussion emphasizes the need for transparency and expert consultation in healthcare decisions, particularly in light of the political influences affecting the HHS secretary's role. It also addresses alarming statistics on COVID-19's impact on children, the implications of new legislation in Texas concerning vaccination exemptions, and the pervasive influence of misinformation on public health.
In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin with Vincent Racaniello discusses vaccination trends, the changes COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for children and pregnant women, easing of vaccination exemptions in Texas, the ongoing measles outbreak globally before Dr. Griffin reviews recent statistics on RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections the Wasterwater Scan dashboard, whether or not the NB.1.8.1 should be included in the fall 2025 vaccines and concern as confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 rise here and in China, different mechanisms by which to reduce transmission of respiratory pathogens, the May 22 VRBPAC COVID-19 vaccine meeting, where to find PEMGARDA, prolonged steroid and antibiotic therapies, provides information for Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s long COVID treatment center, where to go for answers to your long COVID questions, how spike protein may alter mast cells and the immune response and contacting your federal government representative to stop the assault on science and biomedical research.
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Links for this episode- Vaccination trends (CDC: Respiratory Illnesses)
- Weekly COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard (CDC: COVIDVaxView)
- RFK Jr ends coronavirus shot recommendation for healthy children and pregnant women (Washington Post)
- Characteristics of Children Ages 1–17 Who Died of COVID-19 in 2020–2022 in the United States (American Academy of Pediatrics)
- RFK Jr.’s War on Children (Paul Offit: Beyond the Noise)
- AAP analyzes pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations from 2020-’24 (American Academy of Pediatrics)
- COVID-19–Associated Hospitalizations among Children and Adults — COVID-NET (CDC: National Center for Immunizations and Respiratory Diseases)
- COVID-19–Associated Hospitalizations among Children and Adults — COVID-NET (CDC: National Center for Immunizations and Respiratory Diseases)
- Long COVID in Children (CDC: NCHS)
- Long COVID Prevalence and Associated Activity Limitation in US Children (JAMA Pediatrics)
- The C.D.C. Now Says Healthy Kids Don’t Need Covid Shots. Is That True? (NY Times)
- U.S. Will No Longer Recommend Covid Shots for Children and Pregnant Women (NY TImes)
- Gregg Abbott (AP News)
- US school-entry vaccination rates fall as exemptions keep rising (AP News)
- Whooping cough cases are rising again in the US (AP News)
- Amid measles outbreak, Texas is poised to make vaccine exemptions for kids easier (AP News)
- Cardiac Events in Adults Hospitalized for Respiratory Syncytial Virus vs COVID-19 or Influenza (JAMA Network Open)
- USDA reported H5N1 bird flu detection in wild birds (CDC: Avian Influenza)
- USDA reported H5N1 in poultry (CDC: Avian Influenza)
- HPAI Confirmed Cases in Livestock (USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspections Service)
- H5 bird flu: current situation (CDC: Avian Influenza)
- Bird flu (CDC: Avian Influenza)
- Measles cases and outbreaks (CDC Rubeola)
- Weekly measles and rubella monitoring (Government of Canada)
- Measles (WHO)
- Measles vaccine recommendations from NYP (jpg)
- Get the FACTS about measles (NY State Department of Health)
- Measles (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
- Measles vaccine (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
- Presumptive evidence of measles immunity (CDC)
- Contraindications and precautions to measles vaccination (CDC)
- Measles (CDC Measles (Rubeola)
- Adverse events associated with childhood vaccines: evidence bearing on causality (NLM)
- Measles Vaccination: Know the Facts(ISDA: Infectious Diseases Society of America)
- Deaths following vaccination: what does the evidence show (Vaccine)
- Influenza: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
- US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
- Weekly surveillance report: clift notes (CDC FluView)
- Respiratory virus activity levels (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
- Weekly surveillance report: clift notes (CDC FluView)
- FDA-CDC-DOD: 2025-2046 influenza vaccine composition (FDA)
- RSV: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
- US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
- RSV-Network (CDC Respiratory Syncytial virus Infection)
- Respiratory syncytial virus: an under-recognized healthcare-associated infection (Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology)
- Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
- COVID-19 deaths (CDC)
- COVID-19 national and regional trends (CDC)
- COVID-19 variant tracker (CDC)
- SARS-CoV-2 genomes galore (Nextstrain)
- Antigenic and Virological Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 Variant BA.3.2, XFG, and NB.1.8.1 (biRxiV)
- New Covid variant NB.1.8.1 detected at US airports amid rise in cases
- U.S. reports cases of new COVID variant NB.1.8.1 behind surge in China (CBS News)
- WHO TAG-VE Risk Evaluation for SARS-CoV-2 Variant Under Monitoring: NB.1.8.1 (WHO)
- New COVID variant NB.1.8.1 detected at US airports amid rise in cases (The Economic Times: News)
- Infection Control Guidance: SARS-CoV-2 (CDC: COVID-19)
- Isolating the burden of transmission-based precautions for COVID-19 (Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology)
- A pilot study of coughing into the shirt to disrupt respiratory pathogen transmission (International Journal of Emergency Medicine)
- Hybrid B- and T-Cell Immunity Associates With Protection Against Breakthrough Infection After Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Vaccination in Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) Participants (JID)
- FDA panel is split on updates to COVID shots as questions loom for fall vaccinations(AP News)
- COVID-19 Vaccines (2025-2026 Formula) for Use in the United States Beginning in Fall 2025(FDA)
- Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines in the United States (CDC: COVID-19)
- Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda)
- EUA for the pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 (INVIYD)
- Infusion center (Prime Fusions)
- CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC)
- NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH)
- Clinical effectiveness of oral antiviral treatment for non-hospitalized high-risk patients with COVID-19 during Omicron JN.1 subvariant wave(Pneumonia)
- Drug interaction checker (University of Liverpool)
- Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society)
- A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Effectiveness of Remdesivir to Treat Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in Hospitalized Patients (CID)
- Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV)
- Convalescent plasma recommendation for immunocompromised (ID Society)
- What to do when sick with a respiratory virus (CDC)
- Managing healthcare staffing shortages (CDC)
- Steroids,dexamethasone at the right time (OFID)
- Anticoagulation guidelines (hematology.org)
- Tocilizumab, sarilumab and anakinra in critically ill patients with COVID-19 (Thorax)
- Daniel Griffin’s evidence based medical practices for long COVID (OFID)
- Long COVID hotline (Columbia : Columbia University Irving Medical Center)
- The answers: Long COVID
- Spike proteins of coronaviruses activate mast cells for degranulation via stimulating Src/PI3K/AKT/Ca2+ intracellular signaling cascade (Journal of Virology)
- Reaching out to US house representative
- Letters read on TWiV 1222
- Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf)
- Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!
Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees
Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv
Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.
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