Comment Unlock This article is free to access. Why; Biden administration officials warned Tuesday that the latest variants of the coronavirus are driving a new wave of cases across the country and urged Americans to take precautions to protect themselves from infection, reinfection and serious illness. The BA.4 and BA.5 variants now make up 80 percent of circulating virus in the United States, according to federal data, and their greater transmissibility and ability to evade immunity has raised alarm as cases and hospitalizations have increased. Hospital admissions for covid while much lower than they were in January, is about 5,100 per day, doubling since early May, according to federal health data. Many people infected with omicron earlier in the pandemic “really don’t have good protection against BA.4 or BA.5,” said Anthony S. Fauci, the president’s chief medical adviser on the coronavirus. White House coronavirus coordinator Ashish Jha said the administration’s strategy for managing BA.5 relies on vaccination, antiviral treatments, testing, masking and improved indoor ventilation, measures that have worked to keep the people out of the hospital and not die. “If we do the things that we know, that we’ve learned over the last two years, we can overcome whatever Mother Nature throws at us over the next four, six, eight weeks,” Ja said. “And also whatever Mother Nature throws at us this fall and winter.” “Even in the face of BA.5, the tools we have continue to work,” he added. Specifically, officials urged eligible Americans, especially those 50 and older, to get aid. Those 5 years of age and older should receive their first booster five months after their initial vaccination. “Do it now,” said Ja. Getting a booster shot this summer won’t prevent people from getting a very specific shot later in the fall or winter, when vaccines targeting the omicron are expected to be available, he said. For those 50 and older, “my message is simple,” he said. “If you haven’t been vaccinated in the year 2022, if you haven’t been vaccinated this year, go get another vaccine.” Many Americans are under-vaccinated, with only 28 percent of those 50 and older having received the second booster dose, said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky. The risk of death from covid-19 for people 50 and older who have received one booster dose is four times the risk for those who have had two or more booster doses, he said. In addition, A third of Americans live in communities where the CDC recommends people cover up indoors to protect themselves from infection, Walensky said. The Washington Post reported Monday that administration officials are considering a plan to allow all adults to receive a second booster shot to provide greater protection against the latest outbreak — a move that requires approval from the Food and Drug Administration as well as the CDC. Officials worry about immunity waning within several months of the first booster shot. The rapid expansion of access to booster shots will also allow people to receive reformulated shots that target newer virus variants when they become available later this year. In addition, officials want to use vaccine doses that reach their expiration date and would otherwise be discarded. “I know the FDA is looking at it and looking at it,” Ja said. “And I know CDC scientists are thinking about it and looking at the data as well.” Fauci said the latest variants have a greater ability to evade virus-fighting antibodies induced by vaccination and infection. However, there is no evidence that the vaccine’s effectiveness against serious diseases is significantly reduced, he said. Fauci also stressed the importance of keeping virus levels low. Preventing the virus from replicating and spreading makes it less likely to mutate. “If the virus is circulating globally and in this country, we must not let it disrupt our lives,” he said. “But we can’t deny that it’s a reality we have to face.”
