COVID-19 updates: Pfizer vaccine highly effective in children 5-11
About 64.3 million Americans ages 12 and older are completely unvaccinated.
More than 731,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.9 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 66.9% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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CDC recommends Moderna and J&J boosters
An independent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee voted unanimously Thursday evening to recommend booster shots for both the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines for certain populations.
The panel recommended a third dose of the Moderna vaccine at least six months after a person’s initial course for those 65 and older, as well as those as young as 18 who are at higher risk due to underlying health conditions or where they work or live.
A second dose of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine was recommended for anyone aged 18 and older, at least two months after the first dose.
The panel also cleared the way for allowing mixing and matching of booster doses.
The recommendations fall in line with the Food and Drug Administration’s authorization of the boosters Wednesday.
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky must now sign off on the panel's recommendations. A decision is expected within a day.
-ABC News' Sasha Pezenik
Hospital admissions on the decline
COVID-19 hospital admissions in the U.S. have dropped by about 9.7% in the last week, according to federal data.
Death rates are also falling, though they remain persistently high, with an average of just under 1,250 Americans dying from the virus each day, according to the data.
Alaska currently has the country's highest infection rate, followed by Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and North Dakota.
The U.S. is currently averaging around 76,000 new cases per day, down from 160,000 in early September. Despite boasting high vaccination rates, several Northern states continue to see cases tick up as the weather gets colder.
-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos
US vaccination initiation average at one of its lowest points
The U.S. vaccination initiation average is at one of its lowest points since the introduction of vaccines nearly 10 months ago, according to federal data. Just over 182,000 Americans are receiving their first dose each day, while roughly 335,000 Americans are receiving a booster shot each day.
More than 112.5 million Americans remain unvaccinated and about 64.3 million of the unvaccinated are over the age of 12, and thus currently eligible for a shot, according to federal data.
The FDA authorized boosters for Moderna and J&J late Wednesday. The Moderna booster is authorized for adults 65 and older and those at high-risk. The J&J booster is authorized for adults at least two months after their primary vaccination.
The FDA said it's OK to mix a booster but did not say any booster combination was preferred over another.
-ABC News' Sony Salzman, Arielle Mitropoulos
CDC panel hours away from vote on Moderna, J&J boosters
A CDC committee is meeting Thursday to discuss and vote on booster shots for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, as well as if people can mix and match their booster doses.
On Wednesday evening, the FDA authorized Moderna and J&J boosters for some people and allowed for the mixing and matching booster doses.
The next step of the process is for the CDC panel to deliberate and ultimately vote on whether to recommend those boosters, and whether to allow mixing and matching. The CDC panel vote is expected around 4:30 p.m.
After the panel vote, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky will make the final decision, likely within one day. The panel's vote is nonbinding and the CDC is not required to follow the panel's recommendations.
Boosting for eligible Moderna and J&J recipients would be able to start once Walensky gives the greenlight.
The FDA has made it clear that there is no preferred booster vaccine for the mixed dosage, but the CDC panel on Thursday is likely to discuss available data on what booster blend might offer the strongest immunity.
-ABC News' Sasha Pezenik
Delta doesn't cause more severe illness than prior variants: CDC
A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that although the delta variant is significantly more transmissible than prior variants, it is not more likely to lead to hospitalization.
Instead, the dramatic uptick in hospitalizations seen during the summer's delta surge was fueled by the highly transmissible variant spreading easily among mostly unvaccinated people, the CDC said.
The report, which analyzed COVID-19 hospitalization data from 14 states, also found that the proportion of people aged 18 to 49 hospitalized with delta increased "significantly" in July and August to 35.8% of all hospitalizations compared to 24.7% from January to June of this year. This was likely due to lower vaccination rates among younger people, the CDC said.
-ABC News' Sony Salzman