The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness
A health-care worker receives a Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine booster shot at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami on Oct. 5. (Lynne Sladky/AP)

Covid-19 live updates More Americans are getting their boosters than first vaccine doses

Updated October 22, 2021 at 11:30 p.m. EDT|Published October 22, 2021 at 4:05 a.m. EDT

This live coverage has ended. For the latest coronavirus news, click here.

The number of Americans getting coronavirus vaccine boosters is outpacing the number of those getting their first vaccine shots, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  

Here’s what to know

  • More than 70 million Americans are now eligible for coronavirus booster shots and 50 million more will be eligible to receive booster shots in the coming months, White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said Friday.
  • Pfizer and BioNTech reported their coronavirus vaccine is 91 percent effective in children 5 to 11 years old in documents posted Friday ahead of a Tuesday meeting where experts are scheduled to debate whether the shots are safe and effective.
  • Tens of millions of Americans can sign up to get Moderna and Johnson & Johnson booster shots beginning Friday, after the nation’s top public health official endorsed recommendations from expert advisers on booster doses and for the mixing and matching of coronavirus vaccines for boosters.
  • The CDC told everyone to stay home last year, but this season is different.
Skip to end of carousel
More than 70 million Americans are now eligible for coronavirus booster shots and 50 million more will be eligible to receive booster shots in the coming months, White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said Friday.
Pfizer and BioNTech reported their coronavirus vaccine is 91 percent effective in children 5 to 11 years old in documents posted Friday ahead of a Tuesday meeting where experts are scheduled to debate whether the shots are safe and effective.
Tens of millions of Americans can sign up to get Moderna and Johnson & Johnson booster shots beginning Friday, after the nation’s top public health official endorsed recommendations from expert advisers on booster doses and for the mixing and matching of coronavirus vaccines for boosters.
The CDC told everyone to stay home last year, but this season is different.

1/4

End of carousel

Coronavirus: What you need to know

End of the public health emergency: The Biden administration ended the public health emergency for the coronavirus pandemic on May 11, just days after WHO said it would no longer classify the coronavirus pandemic as a public health emergency. Here’s what the end of the covid public health emergency means for you.

Tracking covid cases, deaths: Covid-19 was the fourth leading cause of death in the United States last year with covid deaths dropping 47 percent between 2021 and 2022. See the latest covid numbers in the U.S. and across the world.

The latest on coronavirus boosters: The FDA cleared the way for people who are at least 65 or immune-compromised to receive a second updated booster shot for the coronavirus. Here’s who should get the second covid booster and when.

New covid variant: A new coronavirus subvariant, XBB. 1.16, has been designated as a “variant under monitoring” by the World Health Organization. The latest omicron offshoot is particularly prevalent in India. Here’s what you need to know about Arcturus.

Would we shut down again? What will the United States do the next time a deadly virus comes knocking on the door?

For the latest news, sign up for our free newsletter.

Loading...