The variant was confirmed by the California and San Francisco departments of public health in an individual who returned to the U.S. from South Africa on Nov. 22.
The omicron variant surfaced in November in several southern African nations. It set off alarm bells worldwide when public health officials in South Africa saw it beginning to outcompete the previous reigning variant, delta.
It's important for all eligible people to get the COVID-19 vaccine to limit the opportunity for spread. This is especially true for children who often have the virus, but don't have any symptoms.
Stack said that ultimately, society will need to "normalize the expectation" that getting the COVID-19 vaccine is "something all of us have to do," just like we have to follow the rules of the road when we drive an automobile.
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses has created a guide to help those who have been vaccinated to engage in constructive conversations with family members and friends who are hesitant about the vaccine.
Under Beshear's order, all adults in Kentucky may get a COVID-19 booster six months after their second Moderna or Pfizer shot, or two months after the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
