Yes, getting an updated COVID-19 booster for Omicron variants is generally recommended, especially for older adults or those with underlying conditions, to enhance protection against severe illness, hospitalization, and death, even if you've had prior vaccines or infections, but timing might depend on your last shot or infection, with health authorities like the CDC advising updated shots when available for best coverage.
In this systematic review and meta-analysis of 42 studies, we found that one or two booster doses in addition to the initial full COVID-19 vaccine series provided substantial protection against Omicron infection with VE ≥ 50% and severe events with VE ≥ 80%, compared to no vaccination.
CDC recommends the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine for people ages 6 months and older based on individual-based decision making. This includes people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine, people who have had COVID-19, and people with long COVID.
Pre-Omicron, infection meant you had 80% protection against re-infection one year later. Post-Omicron, this has fallen to 5% protection at one year, highlighting that vaccination is more important than ever for people with vulnerable immune systems.
Pfizer COVID-19 bivalent (COMIRNATY Original/Omicron BA.4-5 COVID-19 vaccine) booster dose vaccine.
A booster shot with the Moderna vaccine offered older people better protection against COVID-19 if they had previously taken Pfizer jabs, researchers at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) have found.
The new booster is a bivalent vaccine, which means it contains two messenger RNA (mRNA) components of the coronavirus. Half of the vaccine targets the original strain, and the other half targets the BA. 4 and BA.
The symptoms of the Delta variant may be more severe than the ones of the Omicron variant, resulting in a higher risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and even death. This risk is significantly higher for unvaccinated people or people in a risk group.
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Since August 24, 2025, a total of 33,059 COVID-19 detections have been reported (from 434,597 tests). A total of 25,497 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 detections with age information have been reported. Individulas aged 65+ years reported the highest proportion of all detections (59%) (Figure 5).
Once you have had COVID-19, your immune system responds in several ways. This immune response can protect you against reinfection for several months, but this protection decreases over time. People with weakened immune systems who get an infection may have a limited immune response or none at all.
Most people get 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccines. After some time the vaccines are not as strong anymore. To make sure they stay strong people can get a booster dose. Booster dose means an extra dose on top of the doses you already had.
You should also wait if you have a high temperature or feel very unwell with any illness. If you've recently recovered from COVID-19, there is no need to wait to get the vaccine.
The Moderna Spikevax® Bivalent COVID-19 vaccine (Original/Omicron BA. 1) was shown to increase the immune response against the Omicron BA. 1 variant. This means that the booster is expected to offer protection against this variant.
According to the CDC, the Omicron variant spreads more easily than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and Delta, an early variant. Omicron caused an alarming spike in COVID-19 cases in South Africa—they went from 300 a day in mid-November 2021 to 3,000 a day at the end of that month.
Effectiveness of a 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccination against a COVID-19–associated ED/UC visit was 76% (95% CI = 58%–87%) during the first 7–179 days after vaccination and 77% (95% CI = 62%–86%) during the first 7–299 days after vaccination (Table 2).
The COVID virus has more success surviving on hard surfaces, such as glass and plastic, than on porous ones like bedding. Once the virus lands on a porous material like a fabric, the droplets evaporate much quicker than they do on a hard surface.
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Antivirals are most effective if started within the first 48 hours of symptoms. If used accurately, they can shorten the duration of illness by about 24 hours and decrease the risk of complications, especially in high-risk populations.
Omicron is highly transmissible compared to Delta, Garcia noted. “The viral load is much higher in Omicron, which means that someone infected with the Omicron variant is more infectious than someone infected with the Delta variant.
A global meta-analysis published yesterday in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases estimates that the deadliest SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern (VOC) was Beta, followed by Gamma, Alpha, Delta, and Omicron, with variant-specific case-fatality rates (CFRs) ranging from 0.7% to 4.2%.
However, there remains some risk of new-onset long COVID after a second infection, with around 1 in 40 of those aged ≥16 years and 1 in 165 of those <16 years reporting long COVID after a second infection.
Primary SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first Omicron wave was associated with increased risk of several symptoms 3–5 months later (Table 2). Overall, the strongest associations with having had an Omicron infection were found for poor memory (RR 3.01, 95 % CI 2.73, 3.31) and brain fog (RR 2.31, 95 % CI 2.10, 2.54).
Despite Omicron exhibiting increased transmissibility, the rates of hospitalizations and deaths among patients infected with this variant were substantially lower when compared to other strains.
(NYSE: PFE, “Pfizer”) and BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX, “BioNTech”) today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for the companies' LP. 8.1-adapted monovalent COVID-19 vaccine (COMIRNATY® LP.
For those without any underlying health issues, treating omicron is primarily supportive, similar to previous variants. Both Campbell and Johnson recommended using acetaminophen (Tylenol) when needed for symptoms that include headache, muscle aches or fever.