Hutchinson urges boomers to get boosters

Gov. Asa Hutchinson wants all who are eligible to get a booster shot. He's especially concerned about anyone who's 65 or older.

Why it matters: Studies suggest that vaccinations tend to lose effectiveness over time and even more quickly in older people.

• As cases in the state increase, there are more breakthrough cases in Arkansans 65 or older who've not received a booster, Hutchinson said in his weekly briefing Tuesday.

By the numbers: Though no case of the Omicron variant has been found in the state, 17,000 total doses were given to Arkansans between Monday and Tuesday afternoon of this week.

• CDC data show that nearly 67% of adults in the state are fully vaccinated but that only 31% have received a booster.
• 34% of Arkansans 65 or older have received a booster Hutchinson said, leaving almost two-thirds of the population at risk.

Zoom out: National vaccination rates have ticked higher since the discovery of the Omicron variant, CDC data shows.

• The seven-day average for vaccinations in the U.S. reached about 1.8 million on Monday, up from an average of about 1.3 million a month ago, writes Axios' Tina Reed.

• Much of the growth is happening because vaccinated people are getting boosters, not because of a surge in unvaccinated people seeking their first shots, the Washington Post writes.

Where it stands: About 23% of American adults, or roughly 47 million people, completed their initial series and have also gotten boosted.

• That's up from about 35 million boosted just before Thanksgiving.