CDC strengthens COVID booster recommendation amid Omicron emergence
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday strengthened its previous recommendation for booster shots, saying that everyone 18 and older "should" receive a booster dose.
Why it matters: Last month, CDC director Rochelle Walensky accepted a key advisory committee's recommendation that adults "may" get the shot. The slight, but strengthened, change in wording comes amid the emergence of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
The big picture: Public health experts later criticized the language of the original recommendation for characterizing boosters as a "luxury" for the general population and not a necessity, Axios' Tina Reed writes.
What they're saying: "The recent emergence of the Omicron variant ... further emphasizes the importance of vaccination, boosters, and prevention efforts needed to protect against COVID-19," Walensky said in a statement.
- "I strongly encourage the 47 million adults who are not yet vaccinated to get vaccinated as soon as possible," she added.
- To "stop the spread of COVID-19 we need to follow the prevention strategies we know work."
Go deeper: Experts criticize CDC's language on COVID vaccine boosters