SARASOTA, Fla. — Early data suggests that the omicron COVID-19 variant is more transmissible than Delta, with a doubling time of about two days. Doctors now believe that it's going to be the dominant version of the virus in the U.S.
With cases expected to surge, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning those who are most vulnerable should be thinking about three things: vaccinating, boosting, and masking.
"It is vital for everyone to get vaccinated and boosted if they are eligible," Dr. Rochelle Walensky said.
Pregnant women are among those most at risk and least likely to be vaccinated. According to the CDC, nearly 250 pregnant women have died during the pandemic - 40 percent of them have died since August.
Sarasota Memorial Hospital has been sharing stories from moms-to-be about what prompted them to get vaccinated in hopes of inspiring others to do the same.
“No matter what I'm doing, I know that I'm protected and my child is protected because I've had the vaccine and had the booster," Nurse Practitioner Ashley Stephen said.
"Knowing that some of the antibodies would transfer to my kid through the breast milk definitely kind of pushed me more towards it because protecting him was important"
Walensky says it's also critical for seniors and those who are immunocompromised to get their boosters. That's going to provide more protection against the variant.
More than 3.3 million Floridians have been boosted, according to the Florida Department of Health’s December 10th report. That’s about a third of those who are eligible.
Anyone age 16 and older is eligible 6 months after their second dose of Pfizer. You have to be 18 years old for Moderna. So, if you were one of the nearly 9 million Floridians who were fully vaccinated by mid-June, you can go get a booster.