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Coronavirus Watch: We answer your questions on boosters, breakthrough infections

Grace Hauck   | Paste BN

Any adult who received a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at least six months ago is eligible for a booster, as is any adult who received the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago

The FDA authorized the booster shots Friday for anyone who wants one. The CDC later said it recommends everyone 50+ get a booster and is allowing younger people to get one, too.

So why should you get a booster? Which vaccine should people get as a booster? Can boosters prevent transmission? Paste BN's Karen Weintraub spoke with Dr. Peter Marks, head of the FDA division that has been reviewing vaccines during the pandemic. Here's what you should know.

It's Monday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here's more news to know:

  • About 4 million federal workers must be vaccinated by today under President Joe Biden’s executive order aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus.
  • The New York Assembly's investigation into former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's conduct in office concluded the Democrat's administration misrepresented how many nursing home residents died of COVID-19, according to a lawmaker who reviewed the committee's still-secret report.
  • Pfizer and BioNTech say their two-dose vaccine for kids ages 12-15 was 100% effective against COVID-19, measured seven days through over four months after the second dose, according to updated trial findings.

Today's numbers: The U.S. has reported more than 47.7 million COVID-19 cases and 771,500 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Worldwide, there have been more than 257.8 million cases and more than 5.1 million deaths. About 69% of people in the U.S. have received at least one vaccine shot, and about 59% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. Among U.S. adults, 82% have received at least one shot, and about 71% are fully vaccinated.

Tracking the pandemic: See the numbers in your area here. See where cases are rising here. See vaccination rates here. And here, compare vaccinations rates worldwide and see which countries are using which vaccines.

– Grace Hauck, Paste BN breaking news reporter, @grace_hauck

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