COVID-19 Update by Timothy Brei, MD, Spina Bifida Association Medical Director, Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Developmental Medicine, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA

4/29/22 – This update provides some of the latest information to help keep people with Spina Bifida and their loved ones healthy.

As we head into spring, mask mandates are being lifted and more adults and children are getting vaccinated against COVID-19. Here is the latest update on COVID-19 related news from the Spina Bifida Association’s Medical Director, Timothy Brei, MD.

COVID-19 vaccines continue to protect against hospitalization and death among adults
COVID-19 vaccination continues to help protect adults against severe illness with COVID-19, including hospitalizations and death. Additionally, mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) continued to be highly effective at protecting against COVID-19-associated ventilation or death, including during the Omicron period.

The Spina Bifida Association and the CDC continue to recommend that everyone 5 years and older stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines, including a booster dose for those who are eligible.

Mask mandates by state
Almost all state and local governments that extended or reimposed mask orders amid last summer’s delta variant surge and the emergence of the omicron variant in late 2021 have loosened or dropped those rules as the omicron wave subsides. To learn more about your state’s mask mandate, visit this website.

Mask mandates for transportation
As of April 18, 2022, the CDC no is longer requiring masks on public transportation conveyances and at transportation hubs. However, the TSA (Transportations Security Administration) will still requires masks to be worn on airplanes at at airports through May 3, 2022.

Do children and fully vaccinated people still need to wear masks and practice physical distancing?
Although mask mandates are now being relaxed or eliminated in different parts of the country, it is still recommended that individuals who are going out in public should continue to wear masks, maintain physical distancing and do frequent handwashing in order to prevent further spread of the disease and protect themselves. While vaccination rates have been relatively good to date, the overall vaccination rates are not high enough to achieve herd immunity. Herd immunity is when the vaccination rates in the population are high enough that community spread is decreased.

Spina Bifida and the COVID-19 vaccine survey results
While the COVID-19 vaccine is helping us return to normal, we wanted to understand how the Spina Bifida community perceives the vaccine. Therefore, Spina Bifida Association conducted a survey. Read our blog post Spina Bifida and the Covid-19 Vaccine: Results from Spina Bifida Association Survey to dive into the results.

Do you have more questions?
Talk with your healthcare provider today.