Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
WASHINGTON DC,15th Sept. US health agency Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday authorized, approved, and recommended updated COVID-19 booster for everyone above the age of 6 months.
CDC and the Food and Drug Administration has taken this decision, called it a historic progress and President Biden said that it is an “important” milestone.
According to an official White House release, Biden said, “Since entering office, my Administration has made historic progress in our ability to manage COVID-19 so that it no longer meaningfully disrupts our lives.”
“Today marks another important milestone. Following an independent scientific review, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have now authorized, approved, and recommended everyone 6 months and older get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against serious illness this fall and winter,” he added.
The White House release stated that now have vaccines for all three primary seasonal respiratory viruses – COVID-19, flu, and RSV.
“As we enter the autumn and winter seasons, we are in the best possible position, with more tools and systems than ever before, including safe and effective immunizations, widely available at-home testing, and effective treatments,” White House release said.
Vaccination against COVID-19 is the most effective way to avert hospitalization, long-term health consequences, and death, CDC stated.
According to the latest estimates from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, new Covid-19 variant EG.5 is on the rise in the US.
The variant is causing 17 per cent of the new Covid-19 cases in the country compared to 16 per cent for the next most common lineage, XBB.1.16.
“I urge all Americans to keep their immunizations up to date,” Biden said.
The new variant is a spinoff of the XBB recombinant strain of the Omicron family.
EG.5, compared to its parent XBB.1.9.2, has one extra mutation to its spike, at position 465. This mutation has appeared in other coronavirus variants before, CDC stated
The scientists are not aware what the new mutation enables the virus to do.
Media reported that the 465 mutation is present in about 35 per cent of coronavirus sequences worldwide, including another that’s rising in prevalence in the Northeast, FL.1.5.1, suggesting that it is conveying some kind of evolutionary advantage over previous versions.
EG.5 now has its own offshoot, EG.5.1 that adds a second mutation to the spike. That one is also spreading rapidly, CDC reported.
