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The Moderna booster is here. The CDC recommends you get a booster shot.

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For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the and websites.

Calling it “sobering news,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, on Sunday said “[Omicron] appears to be able to evade some of the immune protection of … the antibodies that are induced by vaccines.”

We should know this week how effective the Moderna vaccine and booster are in protecting against the omicron variant, on Friday. “The somewhat encouraging news,” on ABC’s This Week, “is that preliminary data show that when you get a booster … it raises the level of protection high enough that it then does do well against the omicron.”

The early information for US cases of the appears to support the concern about weakened protection for those who are with two doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine or one of Johnson & Johnson. that 80% of confirmed US cases with the mutated virus were fully vaccinated for the disease. And a third of the cases had received a booster, although some may have not been boosted in time to be fully protected before being infected with the omicron variant.

Omicron has pushed talk of a COVID booster to top of the page. As of Sunday, over 23 million in the US have received the Moderna vaccine booster, , which may be key to being protected. “If you want to be optimally protected, you really should get a booster,” Fauci said on Sunday.

 that a third dose, or booster, of their COVID-19 vaccine may be needed to restore protection against the variant. Two shots may not be enough.

Scientists are still learning about the omicron variant, including how easily it can pass between people, how serious an infection it can cause and if it can evade immunity. As of Dec. 10, according to Jeff Zients, White House COVID-19 response coordinator, the US is administering 1.1 million booster shots a day, the most since May. The jump comes as the White House is stressing the need for , including booster shots. (President Joe Biden’s campaign also includes and for international travelers.)

Health professionals believe that booster shots from Moderna and Pfizer could help slow COVID-19’s spread, reducing hospitalization and deaths, as the effects of the vaccine weaken over time. The CDC urges booster shots for anyone over 18 six months after their second dose of Moderna or Pfizer, or two months after getting a single  dose.

The COVID-19 vaccines have proven so far to be  in preventing hospitalization. People who are unvaccinated are  if infected. With the  halted by a court order, Biden is turning to other measures to get booster shots administered. The government has also ordered 13 million courses of  in anticipation of higher caseloads this winter.

Here’s what you need to know about the Moderna booster, including doses, side effects and . For more details, Sud-Aka.Com here’s the latest on , how you can soon and what to know about 

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When will Moderna know the effectiveness of its COVID vaccine booster against the omicron variant?

On Friday, he expects to see data on the effectiveness of the Moderna vaccine against the mutated variant next week. “We don’t have that data yet,” he said. “We are testing thoroughly all aspects of what we could do.”

“Our expectation,” he said, “is that a boosted person will be protected, certainly against serious disease and hospitalization.”

CNET asked Moderna for a comment but didn’t immediately get a response.

about the effectiveness of its vaccine against the variant and on Wednesday said early lab results suggest that the first two doses of its vaccine might not fully protect against the variant and three doses may be needed to restore those protections.

When could we know if a COVID vaccine booster protects against the omicron variant?

“The third shot … could not only dramatically increase the level of protection,” Fauci said on Sunday, “it very well increase the durability of protection.”Fauci said it will take study to study the booster to know for sure.

Is Moderna making an omicron booster shot?

Scientists worry the omicron variant could spread more quickly than the now-dominant delta variant because of the . Moderna is currently , along with testing a COVID-19 vaccine that could protect against several mutated strains of the coronavirus.

Like every other vaccine-maker around the world, Moderna is testing the effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccine against omicron, but it may be weeks before lab tests show concrete evidence of how well Moderna protects people from the new variant. 

As part of its booster testing, Moderna is also investigating whether a 100-microgram dose of its booster provides better protection against the omicron variant — in other words, a third dose rather than a half dose as the booster is currently formulated now.

If Moderna needs to make a new vaccine modified for the variant, it could be available early in 2022.

When is it time to get a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot?

If you got Moderna or Pfizer, six months after the date of your second shot listed on your vaccination card is when you’re eligible to receive your booster dose. The CDC and other health authorities are now urging you to get your booster as soon as you’re eligible, to keep your immune response against omicron, delta and other coronavirus variants as strong as possible. Two months after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is the time for a booster (more below).

On Dec. 2, Biden also outlined a plan for Medicare to contact the 64 million people it serves and for AARP to reach out to its 38 million senior members. Pharmacies like Walgreens, CVS and RiteAid should also contact people who got a vaccine at their retail stores when it’s time to schedule another dose.

Should people who are pregnant get a booster shot?

The COVID-19 booster recommendations apply to all people 18 years and older, including those who are pregnant. In fact, the CDC urges pregnant people to get a COVID-19 vaccine — and a booster is half a full vaccine dose.

“People who are pregnant or recently pregnant are more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19 compared with people who are not pregnant,” the on its website.

A recent study also linked COVID-19 infection in pregnant people to . However, there is .

Is the Moderna booster shot a third dose?

Booster shots of COVID-19 vaccines are currently half doses of the same vaccine used in the first two full shots. The goal is to top up the vaccine formula that reinforces the body’s immune response against the virus and its variants. The Moderna booster authorized by the CDC is a 50-microgram dose, while the first two shots were each 100 micrograms.

 that contains this year’s flu vaccine and its COVID-19 booster vaccine, but that’s not available right now.

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Moderna’s booster shot is currently half the size of a full dose.

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How do I know which pharmacies have Moderna appointments?

Boosters are available at roughly 80,000 places across the country, including over 40,000 local pharmacies. Some 90% of Americans have a vaccine site within 5 miles of where they live.

in conjunction with the CDC sends you information when you text your ZIP code to this number: 438829. The response will show you COVID-19 vaccine locations in your area, along with the brand they carry for certain age groups, for instance, Moderna 18+. This can save you the trial and error of calling around, or showing up to your appointment to find that your booster of choice isn’t available. The text can also give you a shortcut to make your appointment right from your phone screen. 

You can also check  to see which vaccines are available where, and call 800-232-0233 for vaccine information.

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