Why Covid-19 vaccine boosters may be more important than ever

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Tue, 2022-05-10 18:52 — mike kraft

Why Covid-19 vaccine boosters may be more important than ever With waning immunity and a coronavirus that seems to become more infectious with each new variant, the Biden administration predicts that up to 100 million more people could get Covid-19 in the fall and winter. That estimate makes it crucial that as many people as possible get booster shots of Covid-19 vaccine, experts say. Jen Christensen, CNN CNN

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Less than half of eligible Americans -- only about a third of the total US population -- have gotten a first booster dose, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only about 10 million people have received a second booster, which is authorized for people 50 and older, along with those who are 12 and older who are moderately to severely immunocompromised.

The CDC encourages people to be "up-to-date" on Covid-19 vaccinations -- which includes getting boosters at the appropriate time -- but still defines a person to be "fully vaccinated" if they've received at least their initial vaccination series.

But this week, a senior Biden administration official was more direct: All adults need a third shot.

Vaccination is the best way for individuals to protect themselves against Covid-19, and protection is most effective with at least three shots, the official said.

Getting more Americans boosted against Covid-19 could make a big difference as far as case numbers go, according to Dr. Peter Marks, director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the US Food and Drug Administration. He told the American Medical Association on Monday that he is "a little concerned" about where the Covid-19 pandemic is heading.

"It's really important that we try to get the half -- or a little bit more than a half -- of Americans who have only received two doses to get that third dose," Marks said. "That may make a difference moving forward here, and it may particularly make a difference now that we're coming into yet another wave of Covid-19."

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