Just a moment...
www.axios.com

As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations creep up during a summer wave of heightened virus activity, updated vaccines are still likely weeks away.

Why it matters:

  • Americans have largely tuned out COVID, but the latest COVID uptick is a reminder that the virus continues to circulate and mutate — though the threat is far below pandemic-era levels.
  • Health officials face a challenge convincing a pandemic-fatigued public to get an updated COVID shot, as vaccine uptake has declined with each successive booster.
  • Bipta
    4•1 year ago

    There’s little reason to believe the new shots will be highly protective against BA.2.86, so we’d better hope it gets outcompeted.

    • athos77
      6•1 year ago

      First, it’s a sub-variant of omicron, so the new shots should provide some protection against it.

      Secondly, per the CDC, as of yesterday:

      At least two cases have been identified in the United States. […] It is also important to note that the current increase in hospitalizations in the United States is not likely driven by the BA.2.86 variant. This assessment may change as additional data become available.

    • @dethb0y
      3•1 year ago

      That’s my thought as well, these shots are not going to be tuned for the variants we face today but the variants we faced months ago.