ATLANTA, GA  – April 18, 2023 – On April 18^th, the FDA authorized an updated COVID-19 bivalent booster. The bivalent booster became available in September 2022 as an update from the originally recommended booster. A bivalent booster vaccine targets the original virus and the new variants originating from the omicron strain which appeared in late 2021. Only 17% of eligible persons have received the bivalent vaccine.

The CDC has updated their COVID-19 vaccine recommendations:

• Immunocompromised adults and persons 65 years and older who would like more protection are eligible for the updated bivalent COVID vaccine. These groups are at higher risk to getting severely ill and being hospitalized with COVID-19.
• The original COVID-19 vaccines are no longer available.
• One bivalent COVID-19 vaccine dose is recommended for everyone ages 6 and older to be considered up to date.
• Everyone 6 years and older can receive the new vaccine if they haven’t been vaccinated against COVID.
• The new vaccine is recommended for young children, ages 6 months to 5 years depending on their vaccination history
• Alternative vaccines, by Novavax and Johnson & Johnson, are available for people who are unable to take the new vaccine or prefer another type

The immunologic protection for the first bivalent booster loses its effectiveness against severe illness and hospitalization after 6 months for at-risk groups as determined by the FDA and the CDC, according to Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development and Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.

Respiratory viral infections, like COVID-19 and the flu, traditionally peak in the fall and winter months. The FDA will meet this summer to discuss which COVID and flu variants should be addressed in the Fall. The CDC has indicated that there may be more vaccine updates.

A person is eligible for the updated booster if he or she is:

• Ages 65 and older and had a booster at least 4 months ago
• Moderately or severely immunocompromised, age 6 years and older, and had a booster at least 2 months ago (as recommended by their doctor)

A person with a recent COVID infection will still need to stay up to date with the vaccine. The next vaccine dose should be delayed by 3 months from either the date that the symptoms started or when the first test was positive if there were no symptoms. However, a person may contact their physician about getting the vaccine sooner if he/she:

• Is at high risk of severe disease
• Is in close contact with an at-risk person, or
• Live in a community with a high transmission level or high community level

Dr. Peter Marks, the Director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics and Research, said in a statement on April 18^th, “COVID-19 continues to be a very real risk for many people, and we encourage individuals to consider staying current with vaccination, including with a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine.”

Listen to the full report below:

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA – May 3, 2023 – Western North Carolina’s clean outdoor air has been valued for years. The air and mountain location became a major center for the treatment of tuberculosis from the 1880’s to the 1930’s. However, by 2000 the outdoor air quality became impaired from pollution primarily from coal-fired power plants. The main pollutants were fine particulate matter, PM 2.5, and ground-level ozone. PM 2.5 is a combustion product from the burning of fossil fuels and wood. Particulates can also occur from forest fires and can be formed secondarily when different chemicals combine in the air. Ground-level ozone forms when chemicals from fossil fuels react in intense heat and sunlight. The biggest threat to outdoor air quality is climate change. Hotter summers mean more ground-level ozone and more forest fires producing more PM 2.5.

Federal and state clean air policies has reduced excessive ground-level ozone in North Carolina from 100 days in 2000 to 7 days in 2017 and only 1-2 days in Buncombe County in 2017. The United States (U.S.) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is authorized to specify regulations and standards for the concentrations and emissions of outdoor air pollutants under the Clean Air Act. PM 2.5 emissions have been reduced dramatically since the 2002 Clean Smokestacks Act, a state policy, that required power plants to reduce toxic emissions.

Mobile emissions remain to be a significant source of PM 2.5 emissions from gas-powered vehicles, road dust and the wear products from tires. The transportation sector accounts for 36% of North Carolina’s greenhouse gas emissions. Medium to heavy-duty vehicles account for 32% of particulate matter emissions even though they represent about 3% of the state’s registered vehicles. PM 2.5 is also higher in areas in western North Carolina with forest fires and controlled burns.

High levels of air pollution can cause many serious health problems. Ground-level ozone can cause lung damage and asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema. Excessive PM 2.5 is associated with heart disease, lung disease and early mortality.

Outdoor air pollution is harming vulnerable populations and communities, making this an issue of environmental injustice. People are exposed to more outdoor air pollution if they live near a busy highway or a factory. Many at-risk neighborhoods are more susceptible to heat-stress and the formation of ground-level ozone if they are located near ‘heat islands’ characterized by areas of asphalt, concrete, and fewer trees for shade.

Recent federal and state programs are continuing to improve the quality of the air we breathe by reducing fossil fuel combustion from cars, trucks and buses. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 promotes many environmentally-friendly programs like transitioning to electric school buses to keep our children healthy and away from toxic diesel. On the state level, Governor Cooper signed an executive order in October recommending an Advanced Clean Truck program to encourage medium and heavy-duty vehicles to transition to electricity.

Listen to the full report below:

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

ASHEVILLE, NC – May 3, 2023 – The CDC’s COVID-19 Community Levels describe the impact of COVID illness on each county’s healthcare system. The community level for Buncombe County remains at a low level for the week ending April 24^th. Every county in North Carolina and almost all of the counties in the U.S. are at a low level.

The CDC’s Community Transmission Levels describe how much disease is in each county. The transmission level for Buncombe County and most counties in North Carolina are at a moderate level for the week ending April 23^rd. Less than 20% of the counties in the U.S. are at a high level and about 20% at a low level.

The Buncombe County COVID-19 metrics are on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard. Data from the week ending on April 22^nd indicate:

• Last week’s total cases are down from the previous week
• The seven-day daily average of COVID-19 hospitalizations and of ICU patients has decreased from last week.

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends:

• Getting tested if you have any COVID symptoms
• Staying home if you are positive for COVID or do not feel well

For a county at a low community level, like Buncombe County, the CDC recommends:

• If you are at high risk for getting sick, wear a high-quality mask in a public indoors space.
• If you plan on being with someone at high risk for getting sick, consider self-testing for COVID-19 infection and wear a high-quality mask when indoors with them.

Listen to the full report below:

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]