The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for immunocompromised people and those who are over the age of 65. In a statement, the CDC said the second dose should be received six months after the first one.

The CDC also said its recommendations allow for flexibility for those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised to consider additional doses, which include three or more shots, in consultation with their doctor.

The Food and Drug Administration, in August, had approved the updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna for the 2024 fall season – which were revised to earmark the KP.2 variant of SARS-CoV-2 along with protection against other strains, which had increased infections and hospitalizations across the country. The process has been an annual exercise undertaken by federal health authorities around the world to update the vaccines to protect against ever-evolving newer strains of the virus.

And so, like the previous years, this year also the CDC has recommended that all Americans six months onwards would get a shot of the updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine to provide protection against another expected surge of the virus this fall and winter.

However, according to the authorities, not everyone has been taking the advice seriously. A survey conducted by Ohio State Wexner Medical Centre has revealed less than half of Americans have been planning to get their COVID-19 flu shots this season.

"Data continues to confirm the importance of vaccination to protect those most at risk for severe outcomes of COVID-19," the CDC noted in the latest release. "Receiving recommended 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines can restore and enhance protection against the virus variants currently responsible for most infections and hospitalizations in the United States."

The CDC also reminded the public that the COVID-19 vaccine can help reduce the chances of suffering the aftereffects of long-COVID.

Across the United States, many people have defined COVID as a long-lasting, known chronic condition triggered by the virus that causes COVID-19. The medical term for this is an infection-associated chronic condition. There are over 200 symptoms that doctors have linked to long COVID. While some of them may stay the same over time, others make it worse. Common symptoms of long COVID include:

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