Millions of kindergarteners across the country are entering classrooms for the first time, five years after a pandemic that transformed their early childhoods overnight.

WHO, AMA, AAP and existing standards recommend that people who have never received a COVID-19 vaccine, are age 65 and older, are immunocompromised, live at a long-term care facility, are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant, and/or want to avoid getting long COVID-19, should get the vaccine, especially.

The XFG strain, nicknamed “Stratus,” is the predominant variant currently circulating. It has been on the rise since May in the United States and comprised 65% of variants in circulation as of Aug. 9, according to the CDC.

Pfizer said Health Canada has approved its latest COVID-19 vaccine that targets a new Omicron variant. It will be made available in the fall.

If certain vaccines aren't recommended by the ACIP, it may lead to parents or guardians facing out-of-pocket costs if their children receive the shot. It could also mean the shots aren't covered by the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, a federally funded program that provides no-cost vaccines to eligible children.

Federal data released Friday reveals that COVID-19 is trending upwards in most states, with emergency department visits higher among people of all ages.

COVID-19 cases are rising across the U.S., with Texas among the hardest hit. Experts say the Stratus variant and summer travel are driving the increase.

When you contract the flu or COVID, your body releases inflammatory cytokines that help fight the pathogen and heal damaged tissue. According to the Cleveland Clinic, cytokines also tell immune cells where to go so they can attack and clear out an infection.