Over 7 million Americans have gotten updated COVID vaccines
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[October 12, 2023]
By Patrick Wingrove
(Reuters) - More than 7 million Americans had rolled up their sleeves
for the updated COVID-19 vaccines as of Wednesday, according to the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, despite reports that some
people are still finding it difficult to book vaccination appointments
or find the shots at no cost.
The updated vaccines from Moderna or Pfizer and BioNTech are
single-target shots aimed at the XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariant of the
coronavirus, which was the dominant variant in the U.S. for much of this
year but has since been overtaken as the virus continues to evolve.
Millions of doses of another updated COVID vaccine from Novavax have
also been made available to Americans this week, according to the
company.
Distribution of the Pfizer and Moderna shots began after the U.S.
Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention recommended them on Sept.
12.
Last year's booster targeting the original virus and another variant was
rolled out about 10 days earlier. By Sept. 28, 2022, almost 7.6 million
Americans had received the updated shots.
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A nurse fills up syringes with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
vaccines for residents who are over 50 years old and
immunocompromised and are eligible to receive their second booster
shots in Waterford, Michigan, U.S., April 8, 2022. REUTERS/Emily
Elconin/File Photo
U.S. public health officials have
been optimistic that Americans will get the new vaccines and have
recommended that everyone ages 6 months and older receive one.
But demand has dropped sharply since 2021, when the shots were first
introduced at the height of the pandemic.
About 17% of the U.S. population, or 56.5 million people, ultimately
received last year's version of the vaccines.
(Reporting by Patrick Wingrove; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
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