U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy: Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Offers Best Protection
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: January 5, 2023
For nearly three years now, Americans of every age and from every community have stepped up to help keep themselves, their loved ones, their friends, and their neighbors safe from the COVID-19 virus. Millions reduced exposures, wore masks, and most importantly, got vaccinated and boosted. And because of those extraordinary efforts, our country is thankfully in a new, better place in the fight against COVID-19 – but we can’t let up.
With the arrival of colder weather comes a greater risk of illness because of more respiratory viruses circulating, including COVID-19. These viruses have a disproportionate impact on our seniors: nearly 75% of all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are among those 65 and older.
The most important thing we can all do to keep ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities safe this winter is get an updated COVID-19 vaccine right away.
The updated vaccine targets the Omicron variant as well as the original strain of COVID-19. It has been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration for people ages six months and older. And recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reaffirmed that the updated vaccine makes a big difference in reducing your likelihood of ending up seriously ill from COVID-19.
How big a difference? Early data show that people who received their updated COVID-19 vaccine this year were nearly 19 times less likely to die from COVID-19 compared to people who are not vaccinated at all, and were also less likely to die than those who were vaccinated but had not received an updated COVID-19 vaccine. For seniors, the chance of hospitalization may decrease by 50% or more if you get the updated vaccine – even if you’ve had past doses.
The bottom line is: the updated COVID-19 vaccine offers protection against serious illness, especially for older adults. Even if you do get infected with COVID-19, you are less likely to end up in the hospital or lose your life if you are up to date with your vaccines.
That’s why more than 47 million Americans already got their updated COVID-19 shot as of the new year, including 21 million seniors.
One other measure that can reduce your chances of serious illness if you do get COVID-19 is treatment with medications like Paxlovid. It’s important to start treatment early, even if you have mild symptoms, so don’t delay in seeking care if you learn you have COVID-19.
These two tools – vaccines and treatments – have already saved millions of lives. They could save your life too and can certainly give you and your family more peace of mind during the winter months.
So make a personal plan for COVID-19 today – one that includes vaccines and treatments.
For more information on how to find a COVID-19 vaccine near you, visit vaccines.gov or call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 888-720-7489) for assistance in English, Spanish, and many other languages. To learn more about treatments for COVID-19, talk to your health care providers or visit covid.gov. And to get up to four free at-home COVID-19 tests, visit COVIDtests.gov.
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Tags: COVID-19, Federal Agencies, General Information, People Facing Barriers
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Free W.
A Federal agency being funded totally by taxpayers. With NO legal authority over the people. Incompetent to protect and guard people’s lively hoods that rely on surviving day to day. An agency that is delusional to act on actions without any input from taxpayers. An agency that for some reason feels public servants are so overworked IT feels they are unqualified to process benefits(main purpose). The hypocrisy to rely on the people to report fraud. And yet this agency allows a corrupt 3rd party debit card provider to line their pockets for years by denying disputes with absurd long drawn out paperwork required for unauthorized charges. 7 years I have been robbed 544.00 from denied disputes. My lawyer even agreed was unjust after providing more than enough proof. Allowing foreign customer service reps that butcher the English language.
People file complaints with BBB daily that can’t keep up with them all. People complain every day to SSA they are well aware and do nothing.
Over 100 countries experts have presented huge amounts of evidence to courts across the globe what pharma is putting in their death shots and the millions that have died. It is undeniable vaccines are bioweapons . The Supreme Court has ruled for people NOT TO GET VACCINATED. Vaccines and boosters are killing people. So Americans the truth is these bend over SSA puppets keep showing the people they can’t be trusted and it’s time Congress starts an investigation before they give Americans benefits away to every illegal and refugee that crawls over the border. This will be the first agency the people control when power comes back to the people.
Recovering B.
Amen. These “vaccines” are indeed bioweapins, killing and maiming ppl. I’ve personally had a cousin get a stroke after the booster, another cousin got a clot in her leg, another young 33 yo friend got a blood clot in her ankle, my PCP’s father in law had a stroke, look up the rap song/video “Bodies,” and the video/song “Gates Behind the Bars.” The govt. now is assigning ICD codes for being unvaccinated, while the vaxx accomplishes NOTHING to prevent infection or transmission. This is all a farce, and the gaslighting of the American ppl needs to come to an end.
Tracie L.
Absolutely correct! And weaponized with Nanotechnology
Steve
This rant is nothing but a lot of unsubstantiated BS. Spend time finding out about the rigors of real biological science and you begin understanding why your statements are out of touch with reality.
Jane R.
I was diagnosed with COPD in Dec 2012. I was on levalbuterol to ease the situation as i constantly go out of breath when talking or when walking, I was advised for Lung Volume reduction surgery (LVRS) because both upper lobes of the lungs were affected. I was making preparation for this surgery when a friend of mine told me about a traditional herbal doctor called doctor Chyou from Multivitamin care who prepares herbal medicine to cure all kinds of diseases including COPD disease, when i contacted Multivitamin their email and bought the herbal medicine I received the herbal medicine through courier service in 7 working days after received this herbal medicine i used it as prescribed and was totally cured of COPD within 4 weeks to 15 weeks of usage, they are able to cure any kinds of disease such as COPD, ALS, etc. Please do not think twice to try their formula because surprise me after many years of assuming there is no cure . Contact them and they will give you all the instructions to follow www. multivitamincare. org this is the last medicine you will ever use concerning COPD lung disease. Jane
Monica f.
Jane THANK YOU doesn’t suffice! Love u thanks
DiegoM
You must be delusional! Someone has misinformed you to this cure-all.
Thom Z.
Thanks for putting the information out there for people that are at the wits-end or their long-term pharmaceutical use has further depleted their immune systems. I use a Chinese Acupuncture for many things. Finding one is a challenge outside big Urban Tech and Government Centers here in the USA.
Thom Z.
Checked your website, was not aware of this high end product produced in New Zealand. For the ingredients included it’s worth a 3 months try out for $320. I spend more than than presently spread out over many things. I will be my own evidence based laboratory rat. I’ve been a legal druggie for many physicians for 14 years. Cheap drugs and fillers included. Smile!
Steve W.
Don’t believe everything you see posted on the internet. This is an example. There are to many scams out there. Information which has credible science backing up claims is the way to better health. You can also prevent getting COPD by not doing dumb things like smoking.
Tony
The SSA is the only discriminatory federal agency. They discriminate against disabled beneficiaries.
The SSA doesn’t even know their own federal regulations. They don’t know the difference between a “Representative of Parties” and a “Representative Payee”.
A Representative of Parties is appointed by the beneficiary and not the SSA Commissioner under 20 C.F.R. 404.1703.
Disabled beneficiaries are denied access to their files. The SSA only allows the representative payee to access the disabled beneficiary file. The beneficiary cannot even change their own address without the permission of the representative payee.
A representative payee does not have access rights, unless the payee is also the legal guardian. See SSA POMS GN 03340.030
All of the disabled beneficiaries mail is mailed to the representative payee instead of to the beneficiaries. The mail has the representative payee’s name on it even though they are not a representative of parties.
If the SSA oversaw the CDC, then disabled people would have no rights and they all would be injected with the poison. The SSA would appoint a NAZI to kill disabled people with the poison.
Jamey R.
Wilkerson
wilkersonjamey35@gmail.com
A.C.
Hi, Jamey. Thanks for visiting out blog. We respond to questions and provide general information on our Retirement, Survivors, Disability, Medicare and SSI programs. If you have a general question, we encourage you to ask here. But remember, never post personal information on social media. Thanks, again.
Thom Z.
Your overkill statements shows your frustrations. Curb your description, it’s offensive for some of us to even see the word Nazi. I became disabled myself at 62 just at the Bush/Cheney Great Recession. Took a total 6 attempts, 2 years including attorney. Had/have multiple health issues. The final one that flew through fast was “alcohol dependency”. Like what? More than 2 scotches a day. It a small scorn at the hospital or the doctors! Are you still drinking? (switched to water) Yep, that’s the reason I’m alive at 78 (don’t tell them everything) Smiling