Here & Now

Officials Encourage Omicron-Specific Booster Vaccinations

Zac Schultz:

As we shift from summer to fall and people spend more time indoors, health officials are urging Wisconsinites to get an omicron-specific booster. The vaccine is coming to the state through federal allocations and private pharmacies and is said to better protect against the newest strains of the virus. Moderna’s booster is approved for anyone 18 and older. Pfizer’s is approved for 12 and older.

Smriti Khare:

In the last two weeks since school has started, we’ve seen a jump of about 14% in the cases of children with COVID-19. So about 90,000 cases across the country. Recognize this might be actually underreported since a lot of children are receiving home tests and they aren’t always reported. I think it’s an important data point because it reminds us that COVID-19 is still very much present in our communities. And as we go into the winter season, we worry about other viral entities that tend to have a higher instance during the winter, particularly influenza. So the ability to be able to receive the booster that is specifically targeted towards the omicron variant BA.5, which is the most prominent variant right now in the community, really helps us to keep our children safe.