The CNN Health writes in a headline that BA.5, the most transmissible variant yet. The new subvariant is reportedly fueling most Covid-19 cases in the US which is also raising concerns of increase hospitalization.
However, the White House is reportedly urging people to exercise caution “emphasizing the importance of getting booster shots for those who are eligible and wearing masks indoors as two new highly transmissible variants are spreading rapidly across the country”.
Currently, many Americans are under-vaccinated, meaning they are not up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines. Staying up to date on your COVID-19 vaccines provides the best protection against severe outcomes.
– Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention source: MPR News)
Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House’s Covid-19 response coordinator, told in a White House briefing “We have been watching this virus evolve rapidly. We’ve been planning and preparing for this moment. And the message that I want to get across to the American people is this: BA.5 is something we’re closely monitoring, and most importantly, we know how to manage it”.
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Discussing how to manage the BA.5 subvariant infection, Dr Jha reported urged Americans “aged 50 and older to get second booster shots. Adults who are up to date with vaccinations are less likely to be hospitalized than those who are unvaccinated. But only about one in four adults in the US over 50 have gotten their recommended second booster”.
CNN writes “US health officials are urgently working on a plan to allow second Covid-19 boosters for all adults, a senior White House official confirmed to CNN on Monday, amid fears that younger adults’ immunity may be waning as Covid-19 cases rise with the dominance of BA.5.”
Dr Jha reportedly added “Let me be clear, if you get vaccinated today, you’re not going to be ineligible to get the variants specific vaccine, as we get into the later part of fall and winter. So, this is not a tradeoff, we’ve got plenty. It’s a great way to protect yourself.”