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United States has expanded the vaccine booster shot, or booster dose, to all adults over the age of 18. With the arrival of winter, the number of confirmed cases increased again, which significantly increased the number of subjects to be vaccinated.
Correspondent Kim Jong-won from New York.
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U.S. health authorities urgently approved the third booster dose of the vaccine in September, limiting the recipients to the elderly 65 years of age or older and those who are vulnerable to the coronavirus.
This was because of the lack of scientific evidence on whether booster vaccination was necessary.
However, after about two months, the policy was changed and the number of subjects to be vaccinated was greatly increased.
As winter approaches, the number of confirmed cases increases again, and as the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, where the population moves around, approach, the target of vaccination has been expanded to all adults over the age of 18.
It was also taken into account that the vaccine protection rate drops sharply after a certain period of time.
[Peter Marks / FDA Vaccine Head: Two months after the Janssen vaccine, and six months after receiving the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, you can go and get a booster shot.] From
now on, any adult can do this in a neighborhood like this. You can get a booster shot by coming to the pharmacy in .
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that after reviewing data submitted by pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, the booster vaccination effect was sufficiently proven.
[Rochelle Wollensky / CDC Director: Those who received booster shots (boost shots) know that booster shots are effective in that the rate of confirmed cases is significantly lower.]
Dr. Anthony Fauci, an American infectious disease authority, said next year In the first quarter, it is predicted that vaccination of infants under the age of 5 will be possible.
(Video coverage: Lee Sang-wook, video editing: Jung Yong-hwa)