| This Memorial Day weekend looks much different than last year. The New York Times reports although the number of new cases of COVID-19 is similar — about 23,000 per day in the U.S. — this year there is hope. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 62% of the adult population in the U.S. has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine, and more than 50% of all Americans have at least one shot. As more people get vaccinated, scientists are working to understand more about immunity to the virus. This could be through infection or vaccination. “We’ll have to see where this all interacts. Is it possible we’re going to need a booster at some point? Yes. Is it probable? Yes. Do we know exactly when? No,” Dr. Peter Marks, director of the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said. “But if I had to look at my crystal ball, it’s probably not sooner, hopefully, than a year after being vaccinated, for the average adult.” Part of the reason the timeline for possible booster shots remains unclear is because scientists, in addition to figuring out how long immunity lasts, are also trying to factor in potential future variants of the virus. Currently the three vaccines authorized for emergency use in the U.S., Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson, are all looking into booster shots. Experts believe people who contracted COVID-19 do have immunity, but for how long is still being debated. They advise those individuals to get a vaccine. | 
No comments:
Post a Comment
Keep a civil tongue.