New COVID-19 boosters targeting today's most common omicron strains should arrive within days. The new shots offer Americans a chance to get the most up-to-date protection. Here are some things to know.
booster. The University of Pennsylvania immunologist knows it's too soon after his shot late this summer, especially since he's not at high risk from the virus.
"If you wait a little more time, you get a better immunologic response," said CDC adviser Dr. Sarah Long of Drexel University. The FDA cleared the new boosters based in large part on human studies of a similarly tweaked vaccine that's just been recommended by regulators in Europe. Those tweaked shots target an earlier omicron strain, BA.1, that circulated last winter, and studies found they revved up people's virus-fighting antibodies.
Most Americans eligible for an updated booster have gone at least six months since their last shot, according to the CDC — plenty of time that another shot should trigger a good immune response.