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Omicron Variant: What You Need to Know

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CDC has been collaborating with global public health and industry partners to learn about Omicron, as we continue to monitor its course. We don’t yet know how easily it spreads, the severity of illness it causes, or how well available vaccines and medications work against it.

The Omicron variant spreads more easily than the original virus that causes COVID-19. Here are 3 things you can do to help protect yourself and others:

  1. Get the COVID-19 vaccine, if you haven't already. Vaccines are the best tool to protect us from COVID-19. They slow the transmission of the virus, and provide strong protection against severe illness and hospitalization.
  2. Get the booster when you're fully eligible. Everyone 18 years and older should get a booster shot 2 months after their Johnson & Johnson vaccine, or 5 months after completing their primary COVID-19 vaccination series of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna. Adolescents and teens ages 12 to 17 should also get a booster of Pfizer-BioNTech 5 months after their primary series.
  3. Continue wearing a mask in indoor public places in areas of high or substantial community transmission. Use the COVID-19 County Check Tool to find your county's level of community transmission.

If you have any other questions or concerns please visit (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/variants/omicron-variant.html). 

 

 

 

Content source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Division of Viral Diseases

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