Across the United States, Covid-19 continues to spread and now, there is a new weapon in the fight – an updated vaccine.
“Part of the reason for the need for this vaccine is that, although the numbers are fortunately still low, they are going to go up. It always goes up as the weather gets colder and dryer,” said neurosurgeon Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
Covid-19 hospitalizations are up nearly nine percent compared to the previous week, but are down from last winter’s peak.
Still, there is no clear picture of how many cases there are, since few people are getting tested.
But officials are finding the virus in wastewater.
“It’s gone up significantly, and overall that’s a warning of how much Covid is out there,” Dr. Gupta added.
To help lower the risk of serious illness, hospitalization or death, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges everyone over six months of age, who has not been vaccinated against Covid-19 in at least two months, to receive the updated vaccine.
CDC advisors say those over five years old should receive at least one dose.
Children between six months and four years old – who could be receiving their first vaccine against covid-19 – should receive two doses of modern or three of Pfizer – and at least one of them must be the updated version.
The CDC says immunocompromised people should get ahead with at least three doses of the Covid-19 vaccine – and at least one should be the updated one.
The new vaccine was adapted to teach the immune system to recognize and reject the spike proteins of the xbb 1.5 viruses, which are currently circulating.
The new vaccines contain a single strain of the virus, unlike last year’s which contained two. Those older vaccines are no longer authorized for use in the United States.
2023-09-17 01:51:27
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