The Atlantic Daily: The Booster Rollout is Fracturing the Pandemic Even More

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Booster shots are fragmenting the pandemic experience even more. Then: Our happiness columnist offers a good reason for hope.

Remember when vaccine small talk was lighthearted? When the internet could joke about one company’s shot being cooler than the rest?

This pandemic was always a patchwork, and the individual experience continues to fray even further as boosters roll out. Now your eligibility for shots varies based on things not only like age and risk, but also vaccine brand. To add to the confusion, the rollout process has been downright messy. More fragmentation lies ahead.

• The meaning of fully vaccinated is about to get muddied. With a three-shot course available to some, Rachel Gutman asks, what even counts as fully vaccinated?

• CDC Director Rochelle Walensky advises Americans to “walk” to their boosters. (You know, as opposed to running.) Walensky explained her decision to break with an agency panel last week—and offered guidance for Americans who are eligible.

• Anthony Fauci argues that boosters keep people healthy—not just alive. “I think we should be preventing people from getting sick from COVID even if they don’t wind up in the hospital,” Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser told my colleague Ed Yong at this week’s Atlantic Festival.

The news in three sentences:

(1) U.S. General Mark Milley defended calls he made to his counterpart in Beijing during the final days of the Trump administration. (2) Pfizer submitted data from its COVID-19 vaccine trial for young children to the FDA. (3) U.S. stocks had a bad day.

Today’s Atlantic-approved activity:

Cultivate your hope. Whereas optimism is a bit overrated, hope can improve your well-being, our happiness columnist, Arthur C. Brooks, writes.

A break from the news:

Sports are going all in on gambling. “Trouble is coming,” Will Leitch warns.

Every weekday evening, our editors guide you through the biggest stories of the day, help you discover new ideas, and surprise you with moments of delight. Subscribe to get this delivered to your inbox.