Surgeon general warns of uptick in COVID-19 cases as cold weather arrives

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy warned Americans on Sunday of a possible uptick in COVID-19 cases as the winter season approaches while reiterating the urge for people to get vaccinated. 

“A couple of things that are critical, though, for people to keep in mind, and number one is if you are vaccinated … your chances of both getting sick and transmitting the virus to someone else are much, much lower,” Murthy told “Fox News Sunday” host Chris Wallace.  “So this makes it all the more important as winter approaches to get vaccinated.” 

Murthy urged Americans to get booster shots in anticipation of an uptick in cases over the holidays.

The Biden administration in September recommended booster doses for most Americans who received a coronavirus vaccine in order to combat waning immunity and the prevalence of the delta variant.

Top administration health officials said people would need boosters beginning eight months after their second dose of either the Pfizer and BioNTech or Moderna vaccine.

California, Colorado and New Mexico have approved booster shots for all adults over the age of 18, which Murthy encouraged. 

“What people should know, though, is that the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] has already made millions of people eligible for booster shots, people who are above 65, who have other illnesses that put them at higher risk, and who are at higher risk for exposure based on where they live or work,” Murthy said.

“As winter approaches again and as people get prepared for the holidays … we should be prepared for the fact that there may be an uptick in cases that we see in various parts of the country with cold weather,” Murthy told Wallace.