Boosters are the best defense against omicron. But that message isn't getting through.
ABC News
COVID-19 vaccine boosters are the best defense against omicron. But that message isn't getting through.
For weeks now, as public health experts have warned about the COVID-19 omicron variant and its incredible ability to infect people, they've followed the bad news with good: booster shots available to every adult in the U.S. drive protection against omicron back up.
One of a few glimmers of scientific optimism in the omicron era is that the variant can be held at bay or kept to a very mild infection when people get a boost. And yet, just four in 10 eligible Americans have gotten a booster shot.
Among the most vulnerable Americans — those over 65 years old — it's slightly higher, but still low: Just over 60% have gotten their booster shots, according to White House data presented last week.
Despite the demand for other pandemic tools, like at-home rapid tests or new treatment pills from Pfizer and Merck, many experts point to booster shots as the best method to actually prevent sickness — and they've been there, widely available, for weeks.