On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated recommendations for booster shots, saying that people who got the Pfizer vaccine should now seek out a booster shot five months after their second shot.
Previously, the CDC recommended that people seek a booster six months after their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
Those who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine should still seek a booster shot two months after their initial dose. Those who got the two-dose Moderna mRNA vaccine should still seek a booster six months after their final dose.
The new recommendations come as the U.S. is experiencing record-setting transmission of COVID-19 caused by the highly contagious omicron variant. On Monday, the U.S. saw a record 1 million new COVID-19 infections, according to Johns Hopkins.
"As we have done throughout the pandemic, we will continue to update our recommendations to ensure the best possible protection for the American people," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. "Following the FDA's authorizations, today's recommendations ensure people are able to get a boost of protection in the face of Omicron and increasing cases across the country, and ensure that the most vulnerable children can get an additional dose to optimize protection against COVID-19."
The rule change also comes a day after the Food and Drug Administration voted to approve booster shots for adolescents as young as 12. Later this week, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet and likely take a vote on whether to issue emergency approval for adolescents to receive booster shots. Should the panel vote to support approval, millions of young people would become immediately eligible for an additional dose.
