Discuss with your doctor whether or not you need a booster – and if so, which vaccine will work best for you.
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As boosters are authorized for all three COVID-19 shots available in the US, the ability to swap out vaccine types looks to be a boon to the immune system.
Rod Jackson, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
With the government decision on alert levels due today, it’s clear a more radical approach to vaccination is needed — including restrictions for eligible but unvaccinated people.
The FDA and CDC are recommending use of a third shot, or “booster dose” for certain groups of people in the U.S.
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Fault lines between the FDA and CDC regulatory processes have been on full display in the decisions over which groups of Americans should receive the Pfizer booster shot.
In the reluctance to vaccinate, there is a lack of trust and understanding of the scientific process. Better communication would help rebuild bridges.
The Canadian Press/Paul Chiasson
Before the pandemic, the public perceived science as infallible and inaccessible. But the opening up of research to the general public has changed that perception.
Protesters gather at Indiana University in June 2021 to demonstrate against mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for students, staff and faculty.
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Subtly shifting the crafting and delivery of public health messaging on COVID-19 vaccines could go a long way toward persuading many of the unvaccinated to get the shot.
September 11, 2021 marks the 18 month anniversary of the WHO declaring the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic.
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Katelyn Jetelina, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
A lot has happened since the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. A portrait in data highlights trends in everything from case counts, to research publications, to variant spread.
You’ll read lots of different figures on this — six months, eight months, more — and that’s because the research is ongoing. We don’t yet have a concrete answer.
People getting vaccinated may still have questions about COVID-19 vaccines, like why it takes two doses — and then two weeks — to take full effect.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
A medical student answers questions he gets asked at a COVID-19 vaccine clinic: Efficacy versus real-world effectiveness, immune response and how the mRNA vaccines compare to vaccines already in wide use.
As we continue to roll out COVID-19 vaccines around the world, we’re learning people who are immunocompromised aren’t necessarily protected as well from the first two doses.
COVID-19 vaccines have been proved safe and effective. But it’s understandable to have questions.
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Some countries have started administering third doses of COVID vaccines, or booster shots. But we’re still learning about how long immunity lasts from the first two shots.
FDA approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine may boost vaccination rates among those who have been hesitant to get the shot.
(AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
The U.S. FDA has approved the first COVID-19 vaccine. How is approval different from emergency use authorization, and what difference will it make to a vaccine that’s already in global use?
Trials are under way to ascertain whether COVID vaccines are safe and effective for children under 12. In the meantime, it’s reassuring to note that generally, young kids cope OK with the virus.
Each dose of Pfizer has a long and complex path involving mixing, storage at temperatures colder than the South Pole and specific protocols that must be followed before it becomes a jab.
Archa Fox, The University of Western Australia and Thomas Preiss, Australian National University
Doses of the Moderna vaccine will be available in Australia from mid-September. So if you’re in an eligible group you could be offered either Pfizer or Moderna. Here’s how they compare.
By 1980, all U.S. states required immunization for school attendance. Ontario followed suit in 1982.
(AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Vaccines can’t provide 100% protection, so it’s not a failure or surprise when some vaccinated people get sick with COVID-19. The good news is their cases are much less likely to be severe or fatal.