Should You Get the New COVID-19 Booster to Fight Omicron?
Updated booster shots targeting the highly infectious omicron variant are the newest way to arm yourself against COVID-19. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized these reformulated boosters in September 2022, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) signing off soon after.Currently the agencies have okayed the new booster from Pfizer-BioNTech for people ages 5 and up, and the new booster from Moderna for individuals 6 and up.“The updated COVID-19 boosters are formulated to better protect against the most recently circulating COVID-19 variant,” said Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in a statement. “They can help restore protection that has waned since previous vaccination and were designed to provide broader protection against newer variants. This recommendation followed a comprehensive scientific evaluation…