Have Your Workers Received Their COVID-19 Boosters?

Amid the struggle to get all Americans age five and older immunized against COVID-19, and the unknows about the newly identified Omicron variant, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday strengthened its recommendation that individuals 18 and older receive a vaccination booster.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky recommended that individuals receive a booster dose six months after their initial Pfizer or Moderna series, or two months after their initial Johnson & Johnson one-dose vaccine.

“The recent emergence of the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) further emphasizes the importance of vaccination, boosters, and prevention efforts needed to protect against COVID-19,” Walensky said, adding scientists in the United States and around the world are examining vaccine effectiveness related to this variant.

It will be at least two weeks until scientists can answer key questions as to whether Omicron’s mutations make it more resistant to vaccines, more transmissible, or more severe, CNN reports. However, health experts throughout the nation are emphasizing that vaccinations are the strongest defense against new variants because they decrease spread and, therefore, mutations.

“I strongly encourage the 47 million adults who are not yet vaccinated to get vaccinated as soon as possible and to vaccinate the children and teens in their families as well because strong immunity will likely prevent serious illness,” Walensky said. “I also want to encourage people to get a COVID-19 test if they are sick. Increased testing will help us identify Omicron quickly.”

About 59.3% of the US population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the latest data from the CDC, and about 20.5% of those fully vaccinated have received a booster dose.

Learn more about the Omicron variant in the video below.