A Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center nurse loads a syringe with a Moderna COVID-19 booster vaccine at an inoculation station next to Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss., Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. Moderna recently announced early evidence that its updated booster induced BQ.1.1-neutralizing antibodies. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer
Americans who have gotten the updated COVID-19 boosters appear better protected against symptomatic infection than those who haven’t — at least for now. That’s according to a first look at the new shots’ real-world effectiveness, released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only about 13% of U.S. adults have gotten the updated booster. The CDC tracked people tested for coronavirus-like symptoms at drugstores between September and early November. The study found people who’d had the new booster were less likely to have COVID-19 than those who’ve skipped the new shot.