Why BA.5 is not a super-virus, and how the vaccines are still the best option against COVID

The BA.5 “subvariant” of the coronavirus has rapidly become dominant in the United States, and rising COVID-19 case numbers are dashing hopes for a summer break from the pandemic. The Biden administration responded Tuesday by once again urging people to get booster shots. But those vaccines are unchanged since their rollout more than a year and half ago. Last month, an FDA advisory committee reviewed data for updated vaccines, but even those newer versions are based on the original omicron variant — not the BA.5 version now on the rise. As the pandemic drags on, it’s fair to wonder if we’re ev…

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