Why The FDA Just Authorized A Fourth Dose Of The COVID-19 Vaccine

COVID-19 has evolved over the past two years. The widespread Omicron subvariant, which succeeds the Delta variant that made headlines in 2021, is the latest cause for concern among health authorities, not the least of which is because it spreads much faster than its predecessors.

Those who don’t (or can’t) get vaccinated are at a higher risk of developing serious or potentially fatal symptoms upon contracting the COVID-19 virus. This, due to how easy it is to spread Omicron, makes going outside and interacting with other people far more dangerous for those who are still at high risk of severe complications. It also creates a potential risk of overload on hospitals that may not be equipped to handle too many patients at once, NPR reported in December 2021.

Last summer, the momentary break in pandemic-related restrictions, including mandatory masking in public indoor spaces, was interrupted by the rapid onset of the Delta subvariant in late June. The rapid change compelled authorities to reintroduce safety measures in an effort to prevent medical care systems from exceeding their capacities, which has been a frequent problem throughout the pandemic.

Worldometers reports more than 486,336,077 COVID-19 cases and over 6,159,980 COVID-19-related deaths have occurred since the global COVID-19 pandemic began at the beginning of 2020.