Covid boost is ‘optimal care’, but full vaccination definition remains the same, says Fauci

America’s top infectious disease expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, said the Covid vaccine was “optimal care” as the deadly virus continued to mutate and spread, but the US government remained uphold the definition of full immunization for the time being.

Currently, two doses Pfizer–BioNTech or Moderna vaccine or a dose Johnson & Johnson Vaccines provide a complete supply of vaccines. Fauci said on ABC’s “This Week With George Stephanopoulos,” health officials will continue to assess whether that definition needs changing.

“I think if you look at the data, it’s increasingly clear that if you want to be optimally protected, you really should have a booster,” says Fauci. “It’s the ultimate in care.”

The push for booster shots has been accompanied by an increase in cases of the omicron coronavirus variant. 25 states Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the variant had so far been detected during a press conference on Friday. Officials expect that number to continue to rise.

It’s too early to say what the long-term effects of the virus will be, but early data suggests that people with the omicron variant will have mild illness. The vulnerable patients are older, unvaccinated or have underlying medical conditions, said Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organization’s technical lead on Covid-19, at a press conference. have a much higher risk of developing serious illness.

Since Sunday, The United States has come close 800,000 coronavirus-related deaths.

The new variant has prompted some government officials to reinstate health restrictions to slow the spread. On Monday, New York will carry out its statewide mask duty, which requires protective face coverings to be worn in public places and businesses, unless proof of vaccination is required.

“This variant moves fast, we have to go faster,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”