Omicron makes vaccination all the more important

There is plenty we don’t know yet know about the omicron COVID-19 variant, as news of its discovery broke while many of us were enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday.

The variant — labeled as B.1.1.529 — was first spotted by a doctor in South Africa, and scientists and doctors are rushing to learn more about omicron. The variant’s emergence has sent shockwaves through the world, as some countries are restricting air travel and returning to lockdowns that became a hallmark of COVID.

On Monday, the World Health Organization warned “that the global risk from the omicron variant is ‘very high’ based on the early evidence, saying the mutated coronavirus could lead to surges with ‘severe consequences,’” according to the Associated Press. “The assessment from the U.N. health agency, contained in a technical paper issued to member states, amounted to WHO’s strongest, most explicit warning yet about the new version that was first identified days ago by researchers in South Africa.”

Also on Monday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention strengthened its recommendation for people 18 and older saying “Everyone ages 18 and older should get a booster shot either when they are 6 months after their initial Pfizer or Moderna series or 2 months after their initial J&J vaccine.”

“The recent emergence of the omicron variant (B.1.1.529) further emphasizes the importance of vaccination, boosters and prevention efforts needed to protect against COVID-19,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said. “Early data from South Africa suggest increased transmissibility of the omicron variant, and scientists in the United States and around the world are urgently examining vaccine effectiveness related to this variant. I strongly encourage the 47 million adults who are not yet vaccinated to get vaccinated as soon as possible and to vaccinate the children and teens in their families as well because strong immunity will likely prevent serious illness. I also want to encourage people to get a COVID19 test if they are sick. Increased testing will help us identify Omicron quickly.”

As we are recovering from the problems the delta variant brought, we urge everyone to take this latest variant seriously. If you are vaccinated, please get your booster shot. If you are unvaccinated, please get the shot.