As flu season begins, COVID-19 vaccine guidelines are changing national health recommendations. While previously suggesting annual COVID boosters for people of all ages, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention now advises discussing your decision with a primary care provider first.
Ninth grader Sylvie Kamb feels students should stay updated on recommendations and be aware of potential changes.
“Raising intellectually courageous students is all about being educated, so we should all be educated on political and health related topics,” Kamb said.
As the urgency of the pandemic subsides, fewer people are opting to get their COVID-19 vaccinations each year. According to the King County Department of Public Health, last year only 27.8% of county residents received their updated COVID-19 shot, while in 2021, 77.8% of residents got the initial vaccine.
The shift in attitudes towards vaccines is not an unfamiliar concept for Professor of Medicine and Associate Chief Medical Officer of UW Medicine, Dr. Shireesha Dhanireddy.
“When the COVID-19 vaccine came out, everybody wanted the vaccine, there were lines, and it was hard to get a spot,” Dr. Dhanireddy said. “That has changed as the pandemic shifted into more of a chronic state.”
UW Associate Professor of Medicine for Allergy and Infectious Disease, Dr. Alison Roxby, believes that if someone is doubtful about getting vaccinated, they should discuss it with a primary care provider, rather than risking misinformation from outside sources.
“Whenever a patient isn’t sure about getting vaccinated, I will talk through the pros and cons with them,” Roxby said. “I think people should avoid going onto the internet and just searching it up.”
Despite the recent decrease in COVID shot recipients, more than 90% of UPrep students have, or plan to, get vaccinated this fall, according to a survey conducted by the Puma Press. Sophomore Kayla Billingslea believes vaccinations keep communities safe and healthy.
“I think all of us should just try our best to stay safe because vaccines protect us, but they also protect other people around us,” Billingslea said.
According to the Washington State Department of Health, herd immunity in schools is crucial to preventing outbreaks. Herd immunity is when a certain amount of people become immune to a disease so it can longer spread easily. The Trump administration contributed to recent changes vaccine recommendations.
“[The new policy] stems from some changes in the political landscape and appointees that oversee our healthcare structure,” Dhanireddy said.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) consisted of 17 voting members who guided national vaccine recommendations, until June.
“In the last year, there was a complete change in the ACIP membership and that led to some re-evaluation of vaccines, and potentially some different interpretations of data,” Dhanireddy said.
The ACIP has made it more complicated for people to access vaccines, now requiring a doctor’s prescription. Despite the shift to federal guidelines, Washington state has decided to take its own approach.
“In Washington state, you don’t need a prescription,” Dhanireddy said. “The secretary of health wrote a blanket prescription, and pharmacies in our state are allowed to give the vaccine without another prescription.”
Dhanireddy explains how access can determine whether someone gets vaccinated.
“Anytime we take away a blanket recommendation and make someone go see a doctor for getting a vaccine, it’s much less likely that they’re going to get a vaccine,” Dhanireddy said.
Even when vaccines are easily available, hesitation can still prevent people from getting them. Short-term side effects or worries about missing school or sports can delay a shot.
“There is some hesitation, because it’s momentary pain, or maybe pain for a day, or discomfort for a day,” Dhanirredy said. “Think about the benefits beyond that, that’s what’s really important.”
