- US health officials are tracking several omicron subvariants of the coronavirus that evade immunity more easily and render many treatments ineffective.
- But the new booster shots should offer protection, said Dr. Ashish Jha, head of the White House Covid task force.
- In September, the US introduced updated omicron-targeted boosters against the omicron BA.5 variant.
- Pfizer Inc PFE New vaccines are available for people aged 12 and over, while adults aged 18 and over can get them Moderna Inc MRNA Booster.
- Related: As Moderna struggles with supply shortages, the FDA nods to additional quantities of COVID-19 boosters.
- According to CDC data, omicron BA.5 causes about 80% of new infections in the US. Other subvariants such as BA.2.75, BA.4.6 and BF.7 also cause the infection but are few in number.
- In a CNBC reportJha said health officials expect infections to increase from November to January, adding that it is difficult to predict whether there will be a significant spike as the virus continues to evolve.
- Jha also criticized Congress for not accepting the White House’s request for $22 billion in Covid funding.
- “There is no doubt that our response has been hampered by this lack of funding,” Jha said.
- Photo by Johannes from Pixabay
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