COVID-19 Cases Are Rising. Should You Get A Booster Shot?

With summer travel in full swing, and masks a distant memory, it’s not entirely surprising that COVID-19 cases are creeping upward again. Along with the increase, some states in the U.S. are also recording upticks in COVID-19 hospitalizations, especially among older people. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), weekly hospitalizations have been rising slightly since the middle of June, from around 6,300 to more than 8,000 for the week ending July 22. The agency no longer reports on national case numbers since the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency in May, meaning state health departments were no longer required to report this data to the CDC. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The trend reflects the waning immunity that most of the population has against SARS-CoV-2, since the last widespread recommendation for a booster shot was in April, when the CDC advised that most people receive a booster targeting the viral variants Omicron BA.4/5. These variants, however, have since been replaced by new ones, of the XBB variety, which means the protection the current booster provides is less than ideal. Earlier this year, US health officials decided to update the booster in the fall, but have yet to announce which variant to target, although it’s likely the new shot will focus on some version of the currently circulating XBB virus variant. Until that happens, does it make sense to get another booster shot to better p...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 Source Type: news