Marsh: Third COVID-19 vaccine option available
(Graphic Illustration/MetroCreative)
CHARLESTON — Findings in a study on long COVID may be promising for those with the persistent symptoms, the coronavirus adviser for the state of West Virginia said Thursday. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania who studied blood and stool samples from people with severe long COVID, less severe long COVID and those without found decreased levels of serotonin, a neuro-transmitter that gives the body balance, Dr. Clary Marsh said. Test animals treated with medications to increase the levels of serotonin showed improvement, he said. “What’s really exciting is this is an opportunity perhaps for us to intervene and to see in a more specific way if we can identify people with long COVID symptoms who have low amounts of serotonin and who may benefit from using medications that elevate serotonin,” Marsh said. Marsh spoke in a pre-recorded taping during Gov. Jim Justice’s weekly press briefing from Charleston. A third COVID-19 vaccine is now available, he said. The Novavax vaccine was built on older technology than the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, but is equally effective against the COVID-19 strains that are circulating, Marsh said. People who have gotten Moderna or Pfizer shots but not the updated vaccine can get a single Novavax shot, he said. Those without any vaccinations can get two doses, three to eight weeks apart, Marsh said. The Novavax shot is for those 12 years and older while Moderna and Pfizer can be used by those over 6 months, he said. While there has been an increase in deaths and hospitalizations because of the virus in recent weeks, it is substantially less than during other peaks in the pandemic. “The most severe complications of COVID-19 are still seen in people who are older and people who are immuno-compromised,” Marsh said. Information about resources is available at vaccinate.wv.gov where the vaccine calculator to determine when shots are needed is located, Marsh said. Where vaccines can be obtained can be found from local health care providers and pharmacies, he said. The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines use modified viral genetic material in human cells used for immunity. Novavax uses proteins resembling the virus to be entered into the body, the way it’s been done for three decades. The Food and Drug Administration on Oct. 3 amended its emergency use authorization for the updated Novavax vaccine that better protects against the current variants. Jess Mancini can be reached at jmancini@newsandsentinel.com.Local News
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