vaccine boosters

First meeting of CDC vaccine advisers under RFK Jr. is mostly 'business as usual'

6:35pm April 16, 2025

An independent vaccine advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention met to discuss and vote on vaccine policy for the first time since the change in administrations.

Gearing up for fall, health officials are recommending a new round of booster shots.

Omicron boosters: Do I need one, and if so, when?

2:54pm September 05, 2022

by Allison Aubrey

Updated COVID boosters are now available for anyone age 12 or older. The CDC is urging anyone who is eligible to sign up but some vaccine experts say some people might want to wait.

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A health care worker holds doses of J&J vaccines at the Gandhi Phoenix Settlement in Bhambayi township, South Africa, on Sept. 24. A study of the J&J booster shot in the country had promising results against the omicron variant.

New COVID studies show promise for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine booster

4:06pm December 30, 2021

Two studies that have not yet been peer reviewed indicate increased protection against the infectious omicron variant.

Costumers gather for food and drinks at Time Out Market in Lisbon, Portugal.

Portugal has one of the top vaccination rates but isn't taking chances with omicron

6:31pm December 15, 2021

by Joanna Kakissis

Scientists are watching how Portugal and other highly vaccinated countries are faring against the coronavirus' new omicron variant.

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Hattie Pierce, 75, receives a Pfizer covid-19 vaccine booster shot from Dr. Tiffany Taliaferro at the Safeway on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Monday, October 4, 2021.

Health & Safety

There's more demand for boosters than first shots of the COVID vaccine

9:40am November 05, 2021

by Rob Stein

Some experts worry "boostermania" is distracting from the goal of getting tens of millions of unvaccinated Americans their first shots.

A health care worker administers a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine Thursday at Life of Hope Center in New York City.

Health & Safety

CDC backs the rollout of COVID vaccine boosters from Moderna and J&J

9:09pm October 21, 2021

by Scott Hensley

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky also endorsed a mix-and-match approach to boosters that would be flexible for patients and health care providers.

A health care worker prepares a dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine during a clinic held at the Watts Juneteenth Street Fair in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Health & Safety

The FDA authorizes Moderna and J&J COVID vaccine boosters

7:02pm October 20, 2021

by Scott Hensley

The Food and Drug Administration also gave an OK to boosters that differ from the vaccine originally used to immunize people against COVID-19. A mix-and-match approach could ease the booster rollout.

Nurse Christina Garibay administers Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine to a man at a community outreach event in Los Angeles in August.

Health & Safety

An FDA panel of experts backs J&J COVID vaccine booster

3:14pm October 15, 2021

by Scott Hensley

A panel of experts voted to recommend that the Food and Drug Administration authorize a booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine at least two months after the first shot.

Janet Gerber, a health department worker in Louisville, Ky., processes boxes containing vials of the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine in March.

Health & Safety

FDA analysis of J&J COVID vaccine booster sets the stage for public hearing

3:43pm October 13, 2021

by Scott Hensley

Johnson & Johnson has asked the Food and Drug Administration to authorize a booster for people 18 and older six months after initial immunization, with an option to vaccinate after two months.

The U.S. is preparing for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots, though exactly who needs one is not entirely clear.

Booster Shots Are Coming. Here's How To Figure Out If You Need One

7:31pm September 24, 2021

With the back and forth on boosters from government agencies, many Americans are wondering if they really need an extra shot. Here is what the science says about who needs a booster now — and why.