New guidelines, old hesitancy and the future of COVID vaccines

In today’s Big Story Podcast, it’s almost time for what may become your annual COVID shot—assuming you’re one of the people who will actually get it. Canada’s vaccine advisory committee updated its guidelines to urge everyone in the authorized age groups (which are still to be determined) to get the new booster when it arrives this fall.

Sabina Vohra-Miller is a doctoral student in public health and has a masters in clinical pharmacology.

“What we’re going to see is that every fall we have a targeted effort towards three different vaccines who have influenza, COVID, RSV, and everyone gets all three at the same time,” said Vohra-Miller.

What is the booster and who needs it? What will the fall bring in terms of COVID and other respiratory viruses? Why are so many people still refusing to get an annual shot, when so many more get the flu shot every year, and how should public health be tackling that problem?

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