(RxWiki News) Despite some recent declines in new cases, the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise in the United States.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at publication time, 33,659,974 coronavirus cases and 604,596 deaths had been reported in the US.
In the last week, the CDC reported 124,173 new cases.
However, the CDC noted that the agency does not know the exact number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths. This is because symptoms might not appear immediately, there is a delay in reporting and testing, and they know many people are not getting tested or seeking medical care. Plus, the CDC noted that there may be differences in how states are confirming COVID-19 numbers.
Currently, three COVID-19 vaccines are approved and recommended in the United States:
- Pfizer-BioNTech: two doses given three weeks (21 days) apart
- Moderna: two doses given four weeks (28 days) apart
- Johnson & Johnson/Janssen: one dose
Both the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are approved in those who are 18 years old and older, while the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is approved in those who are 12 and older.
It typically takes two weeks after receiving a vaccine for the body to build protection against the virus. This means you are not fully vaccinated until two weeks after the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or two weeks after the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine.
The CDC has discouraged people from waiting for a particular brand of vaccine. The best COVID-19 vaccine is the first one that is available to you, the agency said.
As of publishing time, the CDC reported that more than 334 million COVID-19 vaccines had been administered in the US and about 159.3 million people were fully vaccinated.
New information continues to become available as health officials learn more about the virus. As new COVID-19 variants start to make their way through the US, health officials are administering vaccines and considering new ways to treat these variants.
Last week, Johnson & Johnson announced that its vaccine showed strong immune activity against the rapidly spreading Delta variant.
Speak with your health care provider if you have any questions.
