Last summer, there was a surge in COVID-19; a New York Times article reported that it had become so normalized that people didn’t see it as a reason to disrupt plans. Epidemiologists, including Bill Hanage, associate director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, predicted COVID-19 would move from pandemic to endemic. Have our COVID-19 risks changed with our attitudes?
Table of Contents
What is an Endemic?
Harvard’s Hanage said, “It certainly has a sort of social definition — a virus that’s around us all the time — and if you want to take that one, then we’re definitely there.”
He told NPR, “Endemic doesn’t necessarily mean good,” he said. “Tuberculosis is endemic in some parts of the world, and malaria is endemic in some parts of the world. And neither of those is are good thing.”
In other words, just because COVID-19 is something we have gotten used to, it doesn’t mean we don’t have to take precautions. This is true especially if we are going to interact with vulnerable populations.
Here are 11 things you need about COVID-19 and the vaccine:
The Variants Keep Coming
1. The dominant variant in the United States is”XFG” Stratus.
Stratus was first detected in the United States in March, but it took months for it to overtake Nimbus “NB.1.18.1. “Stratus has been around in Southeast Asia since January of this year, and came to the United States around the spring,” explains Dr. Magdalena Sobieszczyk, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Symptoms of the Stratus variant are:
- headache
- fever
- “razor blade” sore throat
- cough
- runny nose
- congestion
- Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
2. The 2025 vaccine should be effective against the Stratus variant.
Dr. Sobbieszcyk points out that the currently available COVID-19 vaccine updated for the 2025-2026 season targets a strain called LP.8.1, which is closely related to the predominant strain. “We expect that the vaccine should be effective at protecting against severe disease, and there are no new concerns about safety or efficacy,” she said.
There Are Three COVID Boosters
3. There are three COVID boosters available.
In August, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved new COVID boosters that you can get from Moderna, Pfizer, and Novavax. Each of them targets the descendants of the omicron variant.
4. A new study shows a COVID-19 vaccine booster will protect you against severe infection.
A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reports that getting a COVID vaccine booster could be life-saving, no matter your age. Last season’s mRNA COVID vaccine reduced people’s risk of emergency department visits by 29 percent, their risk of hospitalizations by 39 percent, and their risk of death by 64 percent. The study authors said the vaccine was effective across all age groups as well as in people with and without chronic conditions.
Here’s What You Should Know About Getting Vaccinated
5. Clinicians offer these guidelines on who should get vaccinated.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) both recommend that babies six to 23 months be vaccinated. The AAP recommends a risk-based strategy for children ages two through 18. Parents can vaccinate their children if they like, but they recommend vaccination if your child has diabetes or asthma, for example. The AAFP recommends that adults 18 and older be vaccinated. Individuals 65 and over must be vaccinated because they are still more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID-19.
6. Some people will feel side effects from their COVID-19 booster.
They can last up to one to two days. These are short-term mild or moderate vaccine reactions that resolve without complication or injury. The side effects include pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, fever, and chills.
7. If you’ve recently had COVID-19, you can still get a COVID booster, but you need to wait.
According to Penn Medicine, anyone who has recently had a COVID-19 infection needs to wait three weeks after their recovery before getting the latest booster. Timing may be different, however, if you are immunocompromised. Please speak with your HCP.
Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine May Cost Money If You Don’t Have Insurance, But There Are Resources Available
8. The COVID-19 vaccine is no longer free.
The Bridge Access Program, which made COVID-19 vaccines and treatments free for just about everyone, especially for those who didn’t have insurance, was phased out in August 2024. If you have insurance, you are most likely covered under it. According to GoodRx, for those under Medicare and Medicaid, it will be covered with no cost-sharing if it is provided by an in-network provider.
The vaccine booster, without insurance, can cost more than $200. Here are a few options and resources that can help:
The COVID-19 Vaccine and Cancer
9. The 2025 vaccine is safe for people with cancer or who have been treated for cancer.
According to Mini Kamboj, MSK’s Chief Medical Epidemiologist, at Memorial Sloan Kettering, the COVID vaccine is recommended for people with cancer or who have been treated for it. “The latest CDC estimates show that about 1 in 6 people hospitalized with severe COVID-19 have weakened immune systems. This can happen if you are getting cancer treatment or have a history of cancer. The COVID-19 vaccine protects you from getting very sick if you get the infection.”
10. The COVID mRNA vaccine sparks an immune response to fight certain cancers.
In an observational study published in Nature, researchers discovered patients with advanced skin or lung cancer, who received a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine within 100 days of starting immunotherapy, lived significantly longer than those who didn’t get the vaccine.
You Still Need to Stay Vigilant
11. In 2024, COVID-19 deaths fell out of the top ten.
According to NPR, COVID-19 slipped from the top ten causes of death last year. In 2020, it was number three; now it is number 15. According to the CDC. However, it was a factor in about 47,000 deaths in the United States in 2024.
If you have any preexisting conditions, are in frequent contact with someone who is immunocompromised, or is in their advanced years, ensure that you and they are vaccinated. We can’t afford to let our guards down. Even if you are healthy, chances are, everyone around you isn’t.
Resources
Harvard School of Public Health: Experts Say COVID-19 is endemic. What does that mean?
Annual COVID Vaccines Protect People against Severe Disease, Even with Prior Immunity
Nature: SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines sensitize tumours to immune checkpoint blockade
