The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has urged everyone to get not less than one updated COVID-19 vaccine dose amid the continuing pandemic.

The national public health agency indicated on its website that individuals aged 6 months and older should get the bivalent booster dose to remain protected against SARS-CoV-2, the virus liable for COVID-19.

“Boosters are a very important a part of protecting yourself from getting seriously ailing or dying from COVID-19. People ages 6 months and older should receive 1 updated booster, in the event that they are eligible, including those that are moderately or severely immunocompromised,” the CDC wrote.

4 COVID-19 vaccines are approved or authorized within the U.S.: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Novavax and Johnson & Johnson. All are effective at protecting from serious illness, hospitalization and daying, in line with the agency.

As of late, only Pfizer and Moderna have developed authorized bivalent boosters. The updated doses help protect against each the unique strain of the virus and the newer Omicron variants.

The CDC recommends children and youths between 6 months and 17 years and adults aged 18 and older get the updated booster doses. Those that just recovered from a COVID-19 infection are encouraged to get boosted as well.

Surprisingly, the CDC doesn’t recommend getting a second bivalent booster despite the fact that there have been reports in regards to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) planning to authorize the extra dose later this spring.

“If you’ve received your updated booster dose, you’re currently up thus far. There shouldn’t be a advice to get one other updated booster dose,” the CDC stated in its guidelines, updated on Thursday.

Earlier this week, the Washington Post reported that the FDA would announce its decision to authorize the second bivalent booster in the approaching weeks. The CDC will likely reflect this modification in its next update.

The primary bivalent booster was authorized last September. The subsequent dose will turn out to be available not less than 4 months because the updated vaccine began rolling out.

Artistic representation of COVID testing.
fernando zhiminaicela – Pixabay