The US promotes “double” vaccination against COVID-19 and the flu

The US government is preparing to launch a double vaccination campaign in the fall against COVID-19 and influenza with the addition of new doses recently approved for omicron sub-variants, official sources reported on Tuesday.

White House COVID-19 response coordinator Ashish Jha said in a video news conference that it is “good news” and “actually a good idea.”

Health agencies last week approved a new Covid booster dose of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, which fight the original virus and omicron subvariants.

Moderna’s single booster dose of the vaccine is licensed for ages 18 and older, and Pfizer’s for ages 12 and older.

US Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, also present at Tuesday’s video conference, said the focus “is to vaccinate the highest-risk Americans, particularly those 50 and older.”

To that end, he added: “We will increase our education and outreach efforts this month as we head into October, when we expect more people to receive their updated vaccinations, potentially alongside their flu shot.”

People can “receive a catch-up dose of the vaccine at least two months after their last COVID 19 vaccine,” added Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Positive coronavirus cases are at their lowest number since the start of the pandemic, but omicron subvariants dominate current infections in the country.

In this scenario, the vaccination pattern could be normalized, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading infectious disease expert in the US, who also spoke during the appearance.

“In the absence of a drastically different variant, we are likely moving toward a path with a vaccination chain similar to that of the annual influenza vaccine, with updated annual injections of COVID-19 that match the currently circulating strains. for the majority of the population”, he explained.

The health authorities assured that the vaccines are now available for free in pharmacies and health centers throughout the country.

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