Molnu and the flu shot

1.?What is Molnupiravir and how good is it? News about this drug has been around for a long time. Research regarding Molnupiravir started in 2014 at Emory University. Last Friday the drug’s manufacturer, Merck, came out with some exciting news. Data from an international trial in more than 20 countries shows that this drug taken orally twice daily for 5 days and within 5 days of the onset of symptoms reduces the risk of hospitalization and death by 50% in moderately ill patients. The 775 persons in the trial had to have at least one risk factor for severe Covid and be unvaccinated. There were zero deaths in the drug arm of the trial and eight deaths in the placebo arm. The safety data showed no more adverse events than were seen in the placebo arm of the trial. ?An earlier trial with Molnupiravir (“Molnu” for short) showed that patients had faster clearance of Covid virus from their noses and mouths which should help reduce transmission. The drug appears to work by changing the Covid virus’ genetic sequence rendering it unable to replicate, and the drug appeared to be equally effective against all strains of the virus. An independent Data Monitoring Committee reviewing the latest data concluded that the positive effects of the drug were powerful enough to justify stopping the trial early in order to allow quicker authorization and use of the drug. A trial ending sooner than expected due to unanticipated positive findings is… a very positive finding! Merck and their partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics will ask the FDA for an early use authorization (EUA). The U.S. government has already ordered 17 million pills at a cost of $1.2 billion or $70/pill. Therefore a 5-day course of 10 pills would cost $700. Pfizer and Roche are also working on oral anti-Covid drugs. I hope the anticipation of this drug will not deter folks from getting vaccinated, which still provides the best protection against Covid. In any case, this drug will likely represent a giant step forward in our ability to fight Covid.

?2.?Can I get the flu shot with the Covid vaccine? Yes. You should get the flu shot before, at the same time as, or after the Covid vaccine. Most experts anticipate a worse flu season this year as compared with last year due to the lessening of mask wearing and a general return to school and work. A new British study demonstrated that getting the two vaccines at the same time is safe. Flu cases have already been detected in the United States, and any time now is a good time to get your flu shot. The flu vaccine is recommended for all persons over the age of 6 months. Remember that it takes several weeks for your anti-influenza antibodies to form after vaccination. I would personally not choose to get both shots on the same day just to reduce the potential side effects a bit, but this is really a style point. There is no danger in getting them on the same day. If you do that, I suggest getting the flu shot in your dominant arm and the Covid vaccine in your non-dominant arm as the Covid side effects are usually stronger than the flu shot side effects.