News Information and Media Site: Do you need a COVID-19 booster shot?

OCTOBER 21, 2021

Good morning! I wanted to drop in and let you know that this week's Incoming is going to be a bit shorter than usual. For the next few days, my team at BuzzFeed News is getting together to focus on how to keep the newsroom glowing and growing. Because of that, I'll be away from my keyboard more than usual. Starting Oct. 25, we'll be back with our regularly scheduled newsletter programming! Thank you as always, Alexa

THE BIG STORY

16 essential facts about COVID-19 vaccine boosters you should know

Ben Kothe / BuzzFeed News; Getty Images

Following the advice of its advisory panels, the FDA said Wednesday that many people who received the Moderna vaccine and all people 18 and over who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are now eligible for a booster shot. It's a follow-up to its announcement last month that many people who've had the Pfizer-BioNTech shot could get a booster.

With this new guidance, public health experts are emphasizing that:

You should get a booster if you are 65 or older, or 18 or older and have a health condition that puts you at high risk.

You're eligible for a booster if you're 18 or older and at high risk due to where you live, where you work, or if you're pregnant.

All adults who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine can get a booster, but you're still considered fully vaccinated even if you don't get a booster.

The FDA says your booster shot doesn't have to be the same type as your first vaccine.

But wait, there's more! There's so much useful information from medical experts that couldn't fit into this newsletter. Please read the whole story here for more details on booster shots.

STAYING ON TOP OF THIS

Human remains, and items belonging to Brian Laundrie, were found in a Florida nature park

Brian Laundrie talks to a police officer after being pulled over in the van he was traveling in with Gabby Petito near the entrance to Arches National Park. AP

Officials reported on Wednesday that they have found human remains and several items belonging to Gabby Petito's fiancé Brian Laundrie in Sarasota County, Florida. The remains are unidentified at this time.

Laundrie's whereabouts had been a mystery for over a month. Officials had been searching for him in connection to the disappearance of 22-year-old Petito, who was found dead of strangulation at a Wyoming campground on Sept. 19. He was named as a person of interest and was also indicted with a federal crime, the "use of unauthorized device" — a debit card — days after her death.

In a briefing to reporters Wednesday, Michael McPherson, special agent in charge of the FBI's Tampa office, declined to answer any questions regarding the discovery.

"I know you have a lot of questions, but we don't have all the answers yet," he said.

More on the Petito case:

Gabby Petito died by strangulation, a coroner said. The 22-year-old aspiring social media influencer was reportedly strangled at least three to four weeks before her body was found in a Wyoming campground.
Petito's disappearance highlighted the blatant disparity in media coverage and public interest between cases of missing white women and those involving people of color. Now, TikTokers are demanding attention on behalf of missing POC.

SNAPSHOTS

The Parkland school shooter has pleaded guilty to murdering 17 classmates. The plea comes more than three years after the Feb. 14, 2018, massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

A leaked US government report documents how children with "crippled" legs and epilepsy were forced into the "Remain in Mexico" program. The report offers a rare window into the behind-the-scenes dysfunction and confusion surrounding the controversial Trump-era program that's set to come back.

Leaked Oath Keepers data shows at least 28 elected officials have ties to the group. Although significant attention has been given to the presence of Oath Keepers in armed law enforcement, far less is known about members who hold elected office — or what it means to elect people who have shown support for a group that has repeatedly undermined the authority of the federal government.

Queen Elizabeth II is "reluctantly" resting following medical advice. The 95-year-old monarch was scheduled to travel to Northern Ireland and is said to be "disappointed" that the trip will no longer go ahead as planned.

COMEBACK QUEENS

ABC's Queens artfully highlights the pitfalls of fame

Annette Brown / ABC

An exploration into the aftermath of superstardom, the Queens is off to an incredibly strong start.

The show follows the lives of the members of Nasty Bitches, a fictional all-women hip-hop group that dominated the airwaves in the '90s. Queens takes place two decades after the height of Nasty Bitches' fame, which feels appropriate, writes BuzzFeed News reporter Michael Blackmon.

"We're just now reexamining how messed up celebrity culture was in that period of time — see recent cultural conversations about Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson, etc. The decision to cast women who have actually been in the same industry as their characters — Brandy, Eve, Naturi — adds an additional level of authenticity to the show."

"At its heart, Queens is a redemption story, and who doesn't love a comeback?"

Comebacks don't have to happen in a day. Sometimes they take a lifetime,

Alexa

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