The Latest Breaking News from Paul Offit

There are ways to treat the infection and protect yourself and your family from getting it in the first place. Here’s what you need to know.

PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia’s most prominent immunization expert isn’t planning to get the latest COVID-19 booster shot, and doesn’t think most others need to either.

Gwyneth Paige didn’t want to get vaccinated against COVID-19 at first. With her health issues — hypertension, fibromyalgia, asthma — she wanted to see how other people fared after the shots. Then her mother got colon cancer.

In a few short months, the weather will turn crisp, the holiday season will draw near, and the coronavirus may embark on its third consecutive winter of death and devastation.

People no longer know what to do about the COVID pandemic. Part of the problem is the very language we use to talk about it. Words such as “breakthrough,” “booster” and even “sick” mean different things to different people — and to experts and the general public. The solution is…

Those under 5 are the last group eligible for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, and shots could go out as soon as next week.

PHILADELPHIA — Zoli’s parents plan to get their 4-year-old son vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as shots for young children could finally become available later this month.

Fewer than half of eligible Americans have received a third COVID vaccine shot despite clear evidence of its benefit. That booster shot improves your odds of avoiding even mild omicron. So why haven’t more people gotten it?

In its evolutionary fight for survival, the COVID virus is switching strategies: It’s becoming a master at slipping past our immune systems. And that, say experts, is largely why we’re dealing with an unexpected surge.