For most of us, COVID seems to be something in the review mirror, best forgotten. However, COVID is making headlines right now, and this has many doctors expressing concerns about the virus.
Many parts of the country are seeing the number of infections creep up, and COVID-19 vaccines are not as available as they were at this same time last year for many Americans. All of this is colliding with the upcoming colder weather, when more and more people will spend time — and share germs — indoors, raising fears among healthcare professionals that controlling cases will become even harder than it already is.
Last year, before Trump and Health and Humans Services Secretary RFK Jr. changed the recommendations, everyone 6 months and older was eligible for a COVID shot. This year, there are tighter restrictions in place; only those 65 and older or people younger than 65 with a qualifying underlying condition (such as having certain lung conditions, being a smoker, having asthma, and more) can get the shot. However, the guidelines vary from place to place, making the eligibility extremely confusing.
Some states, like New York, have granted residents permission to get their shot, no matter if they meet the FDA’s eligibility requirements or not. Other states, like Georgia and Louisiana, may require prescriptions from a doctor. And across the country, major pharmacy chains like CVS aren’t even offering the shot because of the current confusion.
Despite the new vaccine guidelines, the unfortunate truth is that COVID cases are high as kids go back to school and folks return home from summer trips. It’s part of the COVID pattern, the virus tends to peak in late summer and again in the winter, but just because it’s part of a pattern doesn’t make a COVID infection any less severe, scary or annoying than years past.
Where you live also makes a difference.
COVID cases are high in Texas, California, Oregon, Nevada, New Mexico, and other states in the West and South Central part of the country. Folks in these areas should take particular caution when spending time indoors and certainly shouldn’t assume any COVID symptoms (runny nose, cough, fever, headache, fatigue, sore throat) are only a cold or allergies.
Many doctors say that to make things worse, all of this is happening just as COVID cases are rising, heading to the usual fall season surge. Their best advice? If you feel you are at particular risk for COVID, you can try to get a COVID shot, but you should check your individual state laws and potentially even talk to your doctor to see what you need to do to get vaccinated. The confusing rules may only make people more hesitant to get a vaccine that has a small uptake as it is.