Coronavirus vaccine and Delta variant updates for 10-29-2021

<p>This is Vaccine 411, the latest coronavirus vaccine information for October 29th, 2021.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>As regular listeners probably know, rates of cases, hospitalizations and deaths have gone down significantly in the US since Delta peaked in September. But now health experts have a problem. Complacency and the believe it’s all over. Winter is coming, many kids still can’t get vaccinated, and the holidays mean lots of gatherings. Plus, many believe vaccination rates need be around 80-85% of adults – and we’re a long way from that. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Researchers think a cheap, generic anti-depressant could reduce the risk of severe COVID by almost one third in people at high risk. The drug is fluvoxamine, sold under the brand name Luvox. It’s mostly used to treat obsessive compulsive disorder and depression, but it also lowers inflammatory molecules called cytokines that can be triggered by an infection. It may also reduce blood platelets, which could help with the blood clotting often seen in COVID. A 10-day course costs about four bucks.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Approve all the vaccines for kids you want, parents still have to be willing to give it to them and a new Kaiser Family Foundation survey shows most aren’t. At least not right away. Only 27% say they’ll vaccinate their kids as soon as possible.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The military has been good at following orders. With the vaccination deadline still ahead for all branches, more than 90% of active-duty troops have gotten at least one dose. For the Navy the rate is more than 99%. If service members refuse, commanders have the options of administrative paperwork, nonjudicial punishment, or court-martial.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Yet another side-crisis that’s come out of the pandemic…we’ve forgotten how to drive. The government reports the number of U.S. traffic deaths in the first six months of 2021 was the highest since 2006. 20,160 people, which is 18.4% higher than the first half of last year. Behavioral research from March through June also showed speeding an