US CDC Discusses Booster Shot for Immunocompromised... New Daily Cases Exceed 40,000

Significant Drop in Mask Wearing in New York City
Mask Mandate on Public Transit, but Many Do Not Wear
Mayor Opposes Mask Wearing Mandate

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] As new COVID-19 cases rise in the U.S. due to the spread of the Delta variant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has begun discussions on administering booster shots to fully vaccinated individuals with compromised immune systems.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

According to CNN, on the afternoon of the 22nd, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices held a meeting to discuss the possibility of additional vaccinations for those with weakened immune systems who have completed their COVID-19 vaccination.

Although individuals with compromised immune systems, such as cancer patients, organ transplant recipients, and AIDS patients, make up only 2.7% of the adult population in the U.S., they account for 44% of breakthrough COVID-19 infections, making urgent countermeasures necessary.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that immunocompromised individuals are more likely to develop severe COVID-19 and pose a higher risk of transmitting the virus to others.

Despite receiving two vaccine doses, approximately 16-80% of immunocompromised individuals failed to develop COVID-19 antibodies.

The debate over the necessity of booster shots continues. Pfizer and BioNTech, developers of the COVID-19 vaccine, announced plans to apply for emergency approval for a third vaccine dose for all adults, intensifying the controversy surrounding booster shots.

Unlike Pfizer, the FDA and CDC maintain that fully vaccinated individuals do not currently need to receive booster shots.

The Washington Post reported that medical experts believe there is limited information on whether booster shots enhance COVID-19 prevention effectiveness.

Meanwhile, with the spread of the Delta variant, new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. have surpassed 40,000 per day.

The New York Times (NYT) reported that, based on its own tally, the seven-day average of daily new cases in the U.S. was 41,310 on the 21st, which is 2.71 times higher than two weeks prior.

Johns Hopkins University reported that daily cases exceeded 50,000 on the 21st. This is the first time daily cases have surpassed 50,000 since May 3.

New York Citizens Not Wearing Masks... Mayor Opposes Regulations

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Although infections are spreading, the number of people wearing masks is decreasing. In New York City, mask-wearing is mandatory on public transportation, but it is easy to see people not wearing masks in subway stations, inside subways, and on buses.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which operates New York public transit, also mentioned that the number of people not wearing masks on public transportation has increased in recent weeks. On the 19th, the MTA distributed masks and urged passengers to wear them, but the number of citizens not wearing masks has only increased.

When the federal government relaxed mask regulations in May, most New York citizens wore masks, but recently, most people do not wear masks outdoors.

A Korean resident said, "While walking in Central Park, I felt the gaze of people around me conscious of us wearing masks, so I had to take mine off."

Despite concerns over the spread of infections, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio opposes reinstating mask mandates.