Evusheld Update
Thanks everyone on here for info on Evusheld and sharing experiences with the AstraZeneca monoclonal antibodies injections. I was listed on the University of Wisconsin Transplant list lottery, but used the website https://covidsafe.fyi/evusheld/ to check on my county, Door, to see that we didn't have any doses. Contacted them and they ordered some. Yesterday I got the two injections and have had no reactions. Just to share with others who are wondering about Evusheld. About price. My Medicare Advantage insurer checked and it was $0.50 out of pocket. Probably because the Feds bought 1.7 million doses and must be subsidizing. Hope this is helpful.
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Hi @bosco17 😊
I am also immune suppressed (kidney transplant). I had covid in October. I agree with you that we are very lucky that the current version of Omicron is highly contagious but the infection is not as deadly as the early Delta variant. I worry about what is to come.
@hello1234 I was told by my transplant team that Evusheld has not shown effectiveness against the current variants so there is no reason to get it now so that would agree with what you read.
We do have to continually be careful. I still wear a mask when out at stores or anyplace but going to family gatherings over the holidays will present a different problem, particularly since they generally involve eating.
JK
Hi @contentandwell 😊
I was just reading the CDC comments regarding Evusheld and it appears that they are still recommending to take the Evusheld shot even though it's not effective on the latest variants. It sounds like there may be a small percentage chance that the older variant you come in contact with may be neutralized by the Evusheld antibodies. I am going to be curious how each hospital and doctor responds to this new data. It sounds like some hospitals and doctors are not going to bother recommending it for a small percentage chance that it will be effective on the variant you come in contact with. Which hospital is your transplant team...Mayo?
@hello1234 My transplant hospital is Mass General in Boston, one of the foremost research hospitals in the country.
I realize it is possible that a person could catch an older variant but the likelihood of that is pretty slim.
JK
@contentandwell 😊
I agree with you! Thank you so much for the great information.
As of Friday, 2 December, Evusheld has been discontinued. CDC says it does not work against the newer variants. Heard it from the scheduler for Evusheld shots.
Do you have a reference to document this statement. Please provide a link.
P. S. I went to the CDC website and am providing this link to their current information, which I admit is quite laborious and confusing, but I do not see anything here to suggest that CDC has discontinued Evusheld.
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/downloads/slides-2022-09-01/09-covid-hall-508.pdf
I do not have a reference. I was told by the Evusheld Clinic at OHSU that CDC had just announced that Evusheld did not work against the new variants and so had been discontinued. They are no longer making appointments for Evusheld shots. CDC may not have updated their website yet?
AstraZeneca spokesperson said the company is "developing next generation" monoclonal antibodies "to neutralise currently circulating and potential future variants of concern."
Like the ol' days, let's continue to monitor and keep each other informed on what we are seeing and hearing in the news. I am hopeful that the new generation version will be coming soon from AstraZeneca or one of the other pharmaceutical companies. In the meantime, be extra safe.
PS. The flu is out there too.