Omicron COVID variant’s global threat has forced the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to change and strengthen its vaccine recommendations. The federal healthcare body said on Monday that all eligible adults “should” get their COVID vaccine booster shot.

The criteria suggests a booster shot after six months of getting a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. On the other hand, those who have received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine should get the booster dose two months after the first jab.

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The United States Food and Drug Administration previously received an endorsement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for a boosted emergency use authorisation for boosters.

Dr Rochelle Walensky, the director of the top health department said that it is “strengthening its recommendation on booster doses for individuals who are 18 years and older”, according to reports from CNN. 

She added, “The recent emergence of the Omicron variant further emphasizes the importance of vaccination, boosters, and prevention efforts needed to protect against COVID-19.”

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The tweak in the vaccine recommendation was supplemented by a request to boost testing across the country. Walensky urged “people to get a COVID-19 test if they are sick. Increased testing will help us identify Omicron quickly.”

United States President Joe Biden, in an address on Monday, said that the Omicron variant of coronavirus– first discovered in South Africa– is bound to enter the United States sooner or later. However, he also called for calm saying that it is a cause for concern but no panic.

According to reports from Associated Press, the World Health Organization warned on Monday 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.”