COVID vaccine: Before winter, US orders a booster dose

The White House announced Tuesday that Americans are eligible You should go get the updated COVID-19 vaccine boosters before Halloween For maximum protection against illness on Thanksgiving and the holidays, with the warning that the “difficult” season for the virus is coming.

“We are not defenseless in the face of these challenges. What will happen this winter is up to us.”

Dr Ashish Jha, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator, USA He has the tools, both in terms of vaccines and medicines, to largely eliminate the presence of serious illnesses and deaths caused by the virusBut he stressed that this is only possible if people do their part.

“We are not defenseless in the face of these challenges,” he noted. What happens this winter is up to us.

So far, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that Only about 11.5 million Americans received the updated dosewhich is intended to provide enhanced protection against the original strain of COVID-19 and against the BA.5 variant, the dominant species worldwide.

Jha said studies suggest that if more Americans get their updated vaccines, “We can save hundreds of lives every day this winter.”

On average, more than 330 people die each day from COVID-19, according to data from the CDC. The United States has reported more than 1.05 million deaths.