CDC now recommending boosters for everyone aged 18 and up

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending COVID-19 booster shots for all adults as the new omicron variant is identified in more countries around the globe. 

The agency previously recommended them for adults aged 50 and older. 

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said the new guidance pertains to the emergence of the omicron variant. No cases have been reported in the U.S. but officials expected they soon will.

"Everyone ages 18 and older should get a booster shot either when they are 6 months after their initial Pfizer or Moderna series or 2 months after their initial J&J vaccine," Walensky said, adding that increased COVID testing will help officials identify Omicron more swiftly.