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The Jan. 28 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) affirmed the value of COVID-19 booster doses in preventing infections and deaths from COVID-19.

The report states that during the periods of Delta and Omicron variant emergence, COVID-19 vaccination protected against both variants. Even though COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness decreased with the emergence of the Delta variant and vaccine-induced immunity waned, protection against hospitalization and death has remained high. Unvaccinated adults had a five times higher risk of infection compared with adults who were fully vaccinated with a booster.

Alabama was included in the 25 jurisdictions that participated in the research: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, New York City (New York), Rhode Island, Seattle/King County (Washington), Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.

All eligible persons are advised to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccination. Three COVID-19 vaccines are authorized or approved for use in the United States to prevent COVID-19. Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna (COVID-19 mRNA vaccines) are preferred. Moderna announced Monday that its vaccine has full Food and Drug Administration approval for adults age 18 and older. The Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine can be given in some situations. For more information about booster shots and when they should be received, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html

To locate a vaccination site near you, visit https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/covid19vaccine/. The study can be viewed at https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7104e2.htm.