FDA's advisers back simplification of first-time vaccinations

COVID-19 vaccines have saved millions of lives and booster doses continue to help the most vulnerable even as more contagious variants have popped up.

But protection does wane and the shots don't fend off milder infections for long.And people are simply tired of getting vaccinated. While more than 80% of the U.S. population has had at least one COVID-19 shot, only 16% of those eligible for the latest boosters -- so-called bivalent doses updated to better match more recent virus strains -- have gotten one.The FDA advisory panel voted unanimously that people should get the same vaccine formula whether they're receiving their initial vaccinations or a booster.