Why Booster Shots Are Being Boosted

The message from the San Diego County Health and Human Services agency sent out this week is designed to boost boosters.

Close to one million people in the county qualify now for the COVID-19 vaccine booster, yet have still not received their dose. Of the more than 2.1 million eligible for a booster shot, just under 970 thousand of them are un-boosted against the COVID virus.

The message from the county came out following the FDA announcing its approval for a second booster shot for those over 50 with underlying health conditions and everyone 65 and over.

Medical experts say a booster shot sharply reduces the chances of severe COVID illness, especially for vulnerable people like the elderly and immunocompromised.

But according to a report in the New York Times, “Despite the huge value of additional vaccine shots, many Americans simply aren’t getting one.

While case numbers have clearly fallen in the last couple of months, there are still a lot of people still becoming infected, now mostly with the newest sub-variant called B.A. 2.

And doctors say that among the older and more vulnerable population, it is more likely to become serious without boosters than with boosters. And that’s why the county is urging more shots in more arms.

(Photo Getty Images)