CDC recommends COVID-19 boosters for all adults

MARIA: SO, LET'S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK BEHIND THE HELINES.AD ED: JOINING US AS HE ALWAYS DOES ON THURSDAYS IS DR. TODD ELLERIN, CHIEF OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES AT SOUTH SHORE HEALTH. AND LET'S START WITH THEIG B NEWS IN MASSACHUSETTS TODAY ALL GETTING THEIR BOOSTE.RS HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR HEALTH PEOPLE TO START GETTING THOSE SHOTS? REPORT GOVERNOR BACKER IS GOING BOLD AND LET'S FACE IT, YOU HAVE A FOREST FIRE COMING, IT IS OUT OF CONTROL. UYO NEEDO D THE AERIAL VIEW FROM GET CONTROL. DELTA IS COMING FOR THUS WINTER. WE HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING WE NCA TO BE AGGRESSIVE ISTH MAKES SENSE. THE BOOSTERS MAKE SENSE FORLL A ADULTS AND REDUCE INFECTIONND A REDUCES DEPTH AND IT IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO. MARIA: DR. FAUCI HAS SAID THE NUMBER OF HOSPITALIZATIONS IN PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN VACCINADTE BUT HAVEN'T GOTTEN THEIR BOOSTER SHOT IS RISING. WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU ABOUT WHERE WE ARE NOW IN THE PANDEMIC AND WHERE WE'RHEE ADED? EYE THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW, MARIE YASH THE PRIMARY VACCINATION SERIES IS STILL WORKING VERY WLEL FOR PRESENTING HOSPITALIZATIONS, BUT, ETH ELDERLY CINEMAS WHO ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISE AND THOSE WITH COMORBIDITIES WITH WE AREEEING S VACCINE BREAKTHROUGHS THAT ARE LEADINTOG HOSPITALIZATIONS ANCE ANOTHER REASON WHY THE BOOSTER MAKES SENSE RIGHT NOW. BUT REMEMBER,NY A TIME I SAY BOOSTER, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS FOR THOSE THAT ARE UNVACCINATED TO GET TIRHE PRIMARY VACCINATION REALLY RACE THAT IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE BOOST.ER THEN, DR. AS WE HAVE BEEN GOING ON HERE THROUGH THE PANDEMIC YOU SAID THAT PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE LETTING THEIR GUARDS DOWN AS WE HEAD INTO THE WINTER SEASON AND THAT COVID IS NOT FULLY BEHIND US OBVIOUSLY SO HERE WE ARE. THANKSGIVING IN A WEEK. MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AREETTING G READY TO TRAVEL NEXT WEEK SHOULD THAT WORRY US? >> REMEMBER, ED. A FRIEND OF MEIN TOLD THE QUOTE. WHEN SOMEONE SHOWS YOU WHO THEY ARE, BELIEVE THEM THE FIRST TIME. THIS ISOT N OUR FIRST COVID THANKSGIVING RODEO. WE HAVE BEEN HEAR BEFORE. WE KNOW WTHA HAPPENS. THEN REMEMBER SOMETHING, THERE ARE PELEOP FROM LAST THANKSGIVING WHO WERE AROUND THE TABLE WHO REQUIRE COVID AND PASS FROM COVID. WE DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN GAIN. SO REMEMBER THE THINGS THAT MAKE SENSE. VACCINATE. VENTILATE. VALIDA.TE KNOW WHO AROUND THE TABLE IS VACCINATED OR UNVACCINATED. MAKE PEOPLE SHOW THEM A NATEGIVE TEST BEFORE YOU GO. I AM BEING AEDSK TO SHOW A NEGATIVE TEST. IN A FAMILY SETTING TO ASK FOR THE SETTING THAT IS UNCOMFORTABLE. >> I YNOUR FAMILY? >> I UNDERSTAND. >> NO. >> WELL,O. N LISTEN. ED SHALL WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT. LISTEN. IT IS A TIME DO THISNG THAT ARE UNCOMFORTABLABLE IF IT MEANS PROTECTING THOSE WHO ARE VULNERABLE AROUND US. WE HAVE STINT .UP >> DOCTOR, DO YOU FEEL LIKE WE -- YES, WE'RE RISING. DO YOU FEEL THATE W RAIN BELTER POSIONTI THIS UPCOMING THANKSGIVING THAN WE WERE A YEAR AG >> SO, IT IS A TGHOU QUESTION, MARIA, TDOO THAT CALL CUE US LUS. I KNOW. >> YES. MORE OF US ARE VACCINATED. BY THE WAY, 30 MILLION AMERICANS HAVE ALREADY BEEN BSTOOED. JUST TO LET YOU KNOW HOW SAFE ATTH IS. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HA AVE LOT OF EXPENSE NOW. BUT REMEMBER, YES, BUT DELTA IS ALSO MUCH THAT MORE CONTAGIOUS WE HAVE WANING I HOON TY AND YOU I KNOW, IMMUNITY,LO CSING THE WINDOW, COLDER WEATHERO S I DON'T THINK THIS IS THE WORST WINTER WE HAVE SEEN FROM COVID, BUT I AM STILL VERY CONCERNED. >> THANKS

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky endorsed the use of COVID-19 vaccine boosters Friday for all adults.Walensky made her recommendation just hours after CDC vaccine advisers voted unanimously to recommend booster doses of Pfizer/BioNTech's and Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines for all U.S. adults six months after they finish their first two doses.The recommendations simplify previous, complicated guidance for boosters.Earlier Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized boosters of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for everyone 18 and older.Previously, boosters had been authorized for anyone 65 and older who was vaccinated with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines at least six months ago and for certain adults at high risk of infection or of severe disease. Friday's vote streamlines this, making clear every adult should or may get a booster six months after finishing the first two doses.Recent real-world studies suggested that immunity from COVID-19 vaccines begins to wane and protection against milder and asymptomatic disease, in particular, may drop. Studies have shown that booster doses restore that immunity.Members of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices heard safety data from the CDC, from Pfizer and from Moderna that showed the boosters have not caused worrying adverse events. The most common reactions are pain at the injection site, headache and fatigue.The vote comes just in time for people to get boosters, the CDC's Dr. Sara Oliver told the meeting. Even if the added immunity given by boosters doesn't last long, she said, it can help."Even temporary protection may factor into the benefit risk balance, especially as we approach the winter holidays with increased travel and holiday gatherings," Oliver said.Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN this week that recent data from Israel show that, among people age 60 and older, those who received a booster were less likely to become severely ill than vaccinated people who had not received a booster. Rates of severe disease remained highest among those who weren't vaccinated.The majority of adults had already been eligible to receive boosters, and several states have already moved to open up boosters to all adults.'Everyone is eligible' Expanding booster eligibility to all adults in the United States may not change the logistics around getting shots into arms.The vaccine supply for boosters is already established in many places. There are no "extra steps" on the administration side of the booster rollout that need to happen, Adriane Casalotti, chief of government and public affairs at the National Association of County and City Health Officials, told CNN."Looking national, we have enough vaccine. There are lots of places that have appointments. Obviously, that varies a little bit depending upon where you live geographically because there's more demand in some areas than others," Casalotti told CNN."But that being said, I think the main preparation is on the communication side," Casalotti added. "The communication for the local health care providers and public health departments is that now you don't have to worry about eligibility if someone asks if they need to get a booster. This is the information -- everyone is eligible after six months."Around 32 million people in the United States -- about 17% of those who are fully vaccinated -- have received a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to CDC data.About 18 million seniors have received a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to CDC data, accounting for more than half of all booster doses administered and increasing the immune response for more than a third of fully vaccinated seniors.The future of boostersThe U.S. is now averaging 94,943 new COVID-19 cases each day, according to Johns Hopkins University — a 31% increase over last week and back to levels last seen more than a month ago. Midwestern states account for more than a third (38%) of new cases.There's concern that winter weather that drives people indoors and holiday gatherings could lead to even more cases."We certainly want people to be as well protected as they could possibly be going into the season," said Dr. Marci Drees, chief infection prevention officer and hospital epidemiologist for Delaware-based ChristianaCare.Drees is a Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America liaison to the CDC's vaccine advisory committee."I think we're at the point now where for lots of people who were vaccinated last winter and spring, now would be the time that their protection is waning," she said.Once people do receive their COVID-19 vaccine booster shots, it's not clear when they might need another vaccine dose — if ever."That certainly is the million-dollar question. We know that the boosters boost people's immunity back up to that 90% to 95% range in the short term. We don't know how long that will last," Drees said."In some ways, we're forging a new path -- and a lot of it is driven by can we get enough immunity in the population so that we can really shut down further transmission," Drees said. "We know that boosters are not going to end the pandemic. They will help and prevent people from getting sick, but we really still need to push on getting first and second doses into people as well."

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky endorsed the use of COVID-19 vaccine boosters Friday for all adults.

Walensky made her recommendation just hours after CDC vaccine advisers voted unanimously to recommend booster doses of Pfizer/BioNTech's and Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines for all U.S. adults six months after they finish their first two doses.

The recommendations simplify previous, complicated guidance for boosters.

Earlier Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized boosters of the and COVID-19 vaccines for everyone 18 and older.

Previously, boosters had been authorized for anyone 65 and older who was vaccinated with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines at least six months ago and for certain adults at high risk of infection or of severe disease. Friday's vote streamlines this, making clear every adult should or may get a booster six months after finishing the first two doses.

Recent real-world studies suggested that immunity from COVID-19 vaccines begins to wane and protection against milder and asymptomatic disease, in particular, may drop. Studies have shown that booster doses restore that immunity.

Members of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices heard safety data from the CDC, from Pfizer and from Moderna that showed the boosters have not caused worrying adverse events. The most common reactions are pain at the injection site, headache and fatigue.

The vote comes just in time for people to get boosters, the CDC's Dr. Sara Oliver told the meeting. Even if the added immunity given by boosters doesn't last long, she said, it can help.

"Even temporary protection may factor into the benefit risk balance, especially as we approach the winter holidays with increased travel and holiday gatherings," Oliver said.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN this week that recent data from Israel show that, among people age 60 and older, those who received a booster were less likely to become severely ill than vaccinated people who had not received a booster. Rates of severe disease remained highest among those who weren't vaccinated.

The majority of adults had already been eligible to receive boosters, and several states have already moved to open up boosters to all adults.

'Everyone is eligible'

Expanding booster eligibility to all adults in the United States may not change the logistics around getting shots into arms.

The vaccine supply for boosters is already established in many places. There are no "extra steps" on the administration side of the booster rollout that need to happen, Adriane Casalotti, chief of government and public affairs at the National Association of County and City Health Officials, told CNN.

"Looking national, we have enough vaccine. There are lots of places that have appointments. Obviously, that varies a little bit depending upon where you live geographically because there's more demand in some areas than others," Casalotti told CNN.

"But that being said, I think the main preparation is on the communication side," Casalotti added. "The communication for the local health care providers and public health departments is that now you don't have to worry about eligibility if someone asks if they need to get a booster. This is the information -- everyone is eligible after six months."

Around 32 million people in the United States -- about 17% of those who are fully vaccinated -- have received a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to CDC data.

About 18 million seniors have received a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to CDC data, accounting for more than half of all booster doses administered and increasing the immune response for more than a third of fully vaccinated seniors.

The future of boosters

The U.S. is now averaging 94,943 new COVID-19 cases each day, according to Johns Hopkins University — a 31% increase over last week and back to levels last seen more than a month ago. Midwestern states account for more than a third (38%) of new cases.

There's concern that winter weather that drives people indoors and holiday gatherings could lead to even more cases.

"We certainly want people to be as well protected as they could possibly be going into the season," said Dr. Marci Drees, chief infection prevention officer and hospital epidemiologist for Delaware-based ChristianaCare.

Drees is a Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America liaison to the CDC's vaccine advisory committee.

"I think we're at the point now where for lots of people who were vaccinated last winter and spring, now would be the time that their protection is waning," she said.

Once people do receive their COVID-19 vaccine booster shots, it's not clear when they might need another vaccine dose — if ever.

"That certainly is the million-dollar question. We know that the boosters boost people's immunity back up to that 90% to 95% range in the short term. We don't know how long that will last," Drees said.

"In some ways, we're forging a new path -- and a lot of it is driven by can we get enough immunity in the population so that we can really shut down further transmission," Drees said. "We know that boosters are not going to end the pandemic. They will help and prevent people from getting sick, but we really still need to push on getting first and second doses into people as well."

��vlog