About 43 percent of the nation's fully vaccinated population received a COVID-19 booster dose as of Feb. 22, according to CDC data.
Here are five booster updates Becker's has covered since Feb. 11:
1. Nearly 55 percent of white people in the U.S. eligible for a booster have received one. Comparatively, this figure is about 44 percent among Black people and 39 percent among Hispanic/Latino people, according to CDC data updated Feb. 17. For more on the demographic characteristics of people receiving boosters, click here.
2. New York, Connecticut and California have each delayed enforcement of booster mandates for healthcare workers, citing potential worsening of staffing shortages.
3. The FDA is reviewing data to determine whether to authorize a fourth dose or second booster of mRNA vaccine in the fall, people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal Feb. 19. Among factors regulators are considering are whether second boosters should be for certain age groups or all adults. Authorization of a second booster will largely be dependent on whether studies establish the extra dose boosts people's immune response that may have waned after a third dose.
4. A CDC study published Feb. 11 found the effectiveness of mRNA COVID-19 boosters against hospitalization fell from 91 percent in the two months after a third dose to 78 percent after four months, which health officials have said is still a strong level of protection.People who receive a COVID-19 booster that's a different brand than their primary vaccine series may be better protected against COVID-19, according to a study from Singapore published Feb. 11 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
5. CMS is now posting data on COVID-19 vaccine booster shots administered to nursing home residents and staff on its CareCompare website, the agency said Feb. 9.