NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — New data reveals an inside look as to how people are staying protected from COVID-19.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed off on updated booster shots last month and people have not been rushing to get one.
According to the CDC, less than four percent of the U.S. has gotten an updated booster, which has some health experts concerned as we're about to get into colder months where a surge of cases is expected. The data does not include people who received updated Pfizer-BioNTech boosters in Idaho and Texas, so it is likely an underestimate.
Pharmacies and other vaccination sites began giving out the new shots around Labor Day weekend. It targets both the original coronavirus strain and the currently circulating omicron subvariants.
Right now it's available for those 12 and older with the CDC expected to sign off on the shot for 5-to-11-year-olds sometime this month.
Health experts said the low response could be attributed to President Biden saying the pandemic is over, which sent a mixed message days after the booster was released. They said now it is more challenging to convince at-risk people to get an updated shot.
Another study found that a lot of people were unaware there was even a new booster.
