Today a friend asked me what was up with #COVID vaccines. Why haven't we been encouraged to get further boosters?
The short answer is that there's a new version coming this fall that targets the now-prevalent XBB.1.5 strain that was not included in previous formulations.
My guess is that this will be made available, but not necessarily recommended, to all US adults. I will be getting it if it is available to me.
@ct_bergstrom for what it's worth, the recommendation in 🇦🇺 was that people 65+ and 18-64 with comorbidities be vaccinated early 2023, and that others can consider a booster based on their own risk profile. https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/covid-19-vaccines/advice-for-providers/clinical-guidance/clinical-recommendations
As I'm a health professional, I've chosen to be boosted again, despite not being in a "recommended" group. Many people I know have done the same. But the overall rates are low: only 3 million out of 20 million 🇦🇺 adults have had a booster in the last 6 months
Carl T. Bergstrom
Damien Hurrell