A version of this story appeared in the On Background newsletter from The Washington Times. Click here to receive On Background delivered directly to your inbox each Friday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday recommended updated COVID-19 boosters for all Americans ages 6 months and older.
CDC Director Mandy Cohen said anyone who hasn’t received a shot for the coronavirus in the past two months should take the updated booster before the fall and winter, when respiratory diseases tend to proliferate.
The shots from drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna should be available later this week.
“We have more tools than ever to prevent the worst outcomes from COVID-19,” Dr. Cohen said. “CDC is now recommending updated COVID-19 vaccination for everyone 6 months and older to better protect you and your loved ones.”
Dr. Cohen made the recommendation after the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 13-1 in favor of recommending the latest booster for everyone.
SEE ALSO: Americans aren’t worried about COVID-19 despite case spike: Poll
Some advisers were leery of making a universal advisement that all Americans should get the vaccine. They said it obscures the fact that older persons and people with underlying health conditions are the ones who will truly need the booster.
Others were strongly in favor of a universal recommendation, saying they needed to speak with a clear voice and make sure people didn’t fall through the cracks in the nationwide fight to keep COVID-19 in check.
More than 90% of circulating viruses are from the XBB lineage targeted by the updated boosters, presenters told the panel on Tuesday.
A new variant, BA.2.86, is fueling cases but officials do not believe it seriously weakens the power of the shots.
The Biden administration plans to promote the boosters this fall. There are widespread reports of an uptick in cases, reigniting the debate around masks in some places, though government-directed mandates haven’t returned and hospitalizations remain low.
“Vaccination against COVID-19 remains the most important protection in avoiding hospitalization, long-term health complications and death. I encourage all Americans to stay up-to-date on their vaccines,” President Biden said.
SEE ALSO: Meta’s Threads blocks searches for COVID, vaccine
The vaccines were developed in record time during the first year of the pandemic.
The main options from Pfizer and Moderna deploy messenger RNA, which teaches the body how to recognize the virus and mount an immune response. The shots haven’t been able to block infection and transmission outright, and are mainly viewed as tools to limit serious disease.
The coronavirus continues to mutate, so drugmakers are trying to fine-tune the shots to match circulating strains as best as possible, akin to updated flu shots.
The updated shots will be manufactured in a similar manner as previous versions and the approval is based on immune response data in lab conditions, according to the Food and Drug Administration, which signed off on the boosters Monday.
Only 17% of the U.S. population received the updated, or “bivalent,” booster that debuted last fall, though more than 4 in 10 seniors — the most at-risk group — opted for it.
A CBS News/YouGov poll released Tuesday said 43% of Americans plan to get a COVID-19 booster this time, with a clear partisan split.
Nearly three-quarters of Democrats plan to get the shot compared with 37% of independents and 21% of Republicans.
Overall, the poll finds Americans are less concerned about COVID-19 than at any point in the pandemic.
The poll says 48% of people are concerned about the latest version of the virus compared with nearly 6 in 10 who feared the omicron wave in 2021.
Only 45% of people worry about getting the virus or seeing a family member contract it. It’s the first time that number dipped below the halfway line in CBS polling, compared with 77% who feared the virus in April 2020 and 55% in March 2022.
The poll was conducted among more than 2,300 adults shortly before the FDA approved the booster shots from Pfizer and Moderna.
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.