Living Healthy: New COVID strain prompts fall vaccine push but not everyone’s being told to get it

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) Just when it felt like the COVID conversation had finally quieted down, new guidance from federal health agencies is putting it right back in the spotlight.

The FDA is preparing for another round of COVID-19 vaccines this fall, targeting the JN.1 strain, now the dominant variant in roughly 70% of cases across the U.S. and Europe. While it’s not a brand-new strain, it’s the one vaccine makers are now zeroing in on.

“We're going to target that to make sure everybody is immune to that strain with the vaccine,” said Dr. Lindsey Valenzuela with Desert Oasis Healthcare.

But here’s the twist: for the first time, the CDC is not recommending COVID shots for healthy kids or pregnant women. That sudden shift has caused confusion and led to some guidelines being walked back just days after release.

“This information changes with the science behind it… and I feel like that’s been the story with COVID the entire time,” Valenzuela added.

Bottom line? If you're under 65 and in good health, talk with your doctor before rolling up your sleeve for another dose. The science is evolving and so is the advice.

For more tools to live a healthier life, scan the QR code below to visit our Living Healthy site.
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