boosters

The new COVID boosters are coming: Here's what you need to know

8:52pm September 13, 2023

Updated versions of the mRNA vaccines roll out this week. Experts say they offer good protection against current COVID variants. Who should get them, and when's the best time to roll up your sleeve?

A booster vaccine is administered on the Indonesian resort island of Bali.

Health & Safety

Coronavirus FAQs: How worrisome is the new variant? How long do boosters last?

6:47pm August 25, 2023

by Fran Kritz

Readers are curious about the new variant, currently known a BA.2.86. Also: Lots of questions about boosters. Can you get it at the same time as a flu shot? And how long does protection last?

A COVID booster is administered in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Health & Safety

Coronavirus FAQ: Is it wiser to get a booster now or wait for the new fall booster?

2:23pm August 11, 2023

by Fran Kritz

Maybe it's not a full-blown summer surge but COVID numbers are ticking up. For those with concerns due to personal risk factors or the start of the school year, the booster question is top of mind.

Print a poster version of this comic to hang up on your fridge or give away to friends. Download the poster here.

Popular COVID FAQs in 2022: Outdoor risks, boosters, 1-way masking, faint test lines

11:08pm December 20, 2022

by Marc Silver

Let's revisit some of 2022's still relevant queries. Like: Does one-way masking help? What's the risk of outdoor transmission? What's up with faint lines on tests?

The Biden administration wants people 50 and over to have the option of getting an additional booster shot.

The FDA is expected to authorize 2nd boosters for people 50 and up

9:06pm March 27, 2022

People aged 50 and over could soon be eligible for a second Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID vaccine booster. The administration wants to offer the shots as immunity from the first booster is waning.

A third shot of the Moderna vaccine boosts protection across age groups, notably in older adults, the company says.

Moderna Has Asked The FDA To Authorize A Booster Of Its COVID-19 Vaccine

9:43pm September 01, 2021

by Jane Greenhalgh

Moderna submitted data from 344 volunteers who got a third shot of the vaccine six months after their first two doses. The additional shot significantly boosted immunity, the company said.

Testing your antibody levels to get a sense of your COVID-19 protection may be tempting, especially as you wait for a booster shot. But scientists say these widely available tests can't tell you the full story, at least not yet.

Health & Safety

Antibody Tests Should Not Be Your Go-To For Checking COVID Immunity

1:59pm August 28, 2021

by Will Stone

Worries about waning immunity and talk of COVID booster shots has some Americans checking their antibody levels to see if they're protected. But scientists warn blood tests don't tell the full story.

People line up last week to receive COVID-19 vaccines in Kampala, Uganda, after weeks of no supply. In Uganda, only 2.2% of the population had received one dose of a vaccine as of Aug. 15.

Why A Push For Boosters Could Make The Pandemic Even Worse

5:54pm August 18, 2021

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Public health figures believe a focus on boosters for the already vaccinated will hasten the emergence of new variants among the billions of unvaccinated people — including a vaccine-resistant strain.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert, says we need to make sure that people with compromised immune systems are protected.

Health & Safety

Fauci Says COVID-19 Booster Shots Are Needed For Those Who Are Immunocompromised

11:31am August 12, 2021

by Scott Neuman

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert, tells NPR's Morning Edition "it is so imminent to make sure that we get them boosted so that they would be in a protected zone."

The director of WHO now says that a booster moratorium should be in force until 10% of the population in all countries is vaccinated. Israel had previously announced plans to give a third Pfizer dose to residents age 60 and up after an uptick in COVID cas

Why WHO Is Calling For A Moratorium On COVID Vaccine Boosters

7:15pm August 04, 2021

by Jason Beaubien

The director general is asking for a halt for at least two months. His hope is to use all available doses to vaccinate 10% of the population in every country by the end of September.