CDC Recommends Updated COVID-19 Booster for All Americans Age 6 Months and Older
An independent committee of experts voted to recommend the updated COVID-19 vaccine for all Americans age 6 months and older. The new boosters were designed to target the more recent variants. Previous versions of the vaccine have lost much of their effectiveness as the virus has undergone significant mutations. Agreeing with the advisory committee’s recommendation, the CDC approved the vaccine, which is now available throughout the United States. Experts emphasize that the virus continues to cause severe disease in every age group. “Even children and adults with no underlying conditions can still experience severe illness due to COVID,” said Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, an adjunct associate professor of medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine.
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Just under half of American Adults Plan to Get the Updated Vaccine
A survey conducted by KFF found that just under half of Americans age 18 and older plan to get the updated COVID-19 vaccine. According to the poll, 23% of adults report that they will “definitely” get updated booster and 23% say that they will “probably” get the shot. Meanwhile, 19% say that they will “probably not” get the vaccine, while 33% say they will “definitely not” get it. The percentage of US adults who plan to get the vaccine is greater than the share of Americans who received previous boosters, but lower than the the proportion who got the original vaccine series in 2020.
Full Story: ABC News