Health

CDC signs off on new COVID-19 boosters ahead of fall booster campaign

ABCNews By Cheyenne Haslett, Sony Salzman, and Ivan Pereira, 02 September, 2022
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed off on newly-updated COVID-19 booster shots Thursday night, giving the final clearance shots to be administered soon after.

The new booster shots have been updated to target two different COVID strains in one shot -- the current omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5, which make up 99% of new cases in the U.S., and the original strain of COVID-19.

This is the first time current COVID-19 vaccines have had a major upgrade. In the future, experts expect the vaccines could be updated periodically to match current strains -- akin to the way the flu shot is slightly different each year.

Walensky urged eligible Americans to get the shot.