Science
The new COVID vaccine is here. Why these are the best times to get immunized
With the new COVID-19 vaccinations for the 2024–25 season arriving in California and across the nation, an important question arises: When is the best time to get the shot?
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says September and October are generally the best times for most people to get the COVID immunization.
But which month is better for your particular situation? Should you rush to get the shot now, considering the high levels of COVID circulating in California? Or should you wait till closer to Halloween in hopes that doing so will extend more robust protection against infection through Christmas and into the New Year?
And what about people who got infected recently or got the old immunization formula a couple of months ago?
Providers in California began administering COVID-19 immunizations using the latest formulation this week. Appointments are available at CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Ralphs, Vons, Albertsons, Pavilions and Safeway stores. Kaiser Permanente expects to begin making vaccines available by mid-September and possibly earlier in some locations. Sutter Health is also aiming for a mid-September rollout.
The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months old and older get the updated COVID-19 vaccination, which was authorized for distribution by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week.
Here are some factors to consider:
The case for October
The head of the CDC suggested that the most important decision is not when to get the vaccination, but just getting it.
“The important part is getting it done,” CDC Director Mandy Cohen said at a briefing. “If September, from a calendar perspective, works better for folks, great. October gets you closer to the winter season. But the important part is getting it done.”
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a UC San Francisco infectious disease expert, makes the case for an October dose.
Getting the COVID-19 vaccine now or in October will offer good protection against severe disease for at least a year, he said. But the best protection against infection is roughly six to eight weeks after getting vaccinated — although that window can be wider if the vaccine is a close match to circulating subvariants, Chin-Hong said.
“To me, the sweet spot is always October,” he said, as it’s closer to the peak of the late fall and winter respiratory virus season, as well as major holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. Based on wastewater data during the last two winters, COVID peaked in California and nationally either the last week of December or the first week of January.
The case for September
But Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional chief of infectious diseases for Kaiser Permanente Southern California, suggested that people get the vaccine as soon as they can.
“The way that COVID is looking now — with just the sheer volume of cases — this is not a year that you want to wait,” Hudson said. “As soon as you are able to get the vaccine, you should get it.”
COVID-19 continues to circulate at a very high level nationally and in California. Depending on the region, health officials are “potentially seeing some indication of a plateauing of the summer increase in COVID-19,” said Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who heads the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Still, “we’re not out of the woods yet,” he added. Trends won’t be clear until there are a few weeks of sustained declines, and that hasn’t happened yet.
Not only is the hyperinfectious KP.3.1.1 subvariant gaining dominance nationwide, doctors also are closely watching a new upstart subvariant, XEC, that has been getting attention in Europe.
Dr. Peter Marks, the FDA’s vaccine chief, said in an Aug. 23 briefing that he has scheduled his vaccine appointment.
“Getting vaccinated now probably gives you the maximum amount of protection that you can get against what’s currently circulating, and that will last for several months, at least,” he said.
What about seniors and immunocompromised people?
Chin-Hong said there are certain people he would urge to get the COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible. That includes those who are older or immunocompromised and haven’t been vaccinated in more than a year. Those groups are at highest risk for being hospitalized with COVID, Chin-Hong said.
“I would love them to get protected,” he said.
Dr. Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in San Diego, offered some questions people should ask themselves to determine whether they should get vaccinated now versus in October.
“How long has it been since you had a booster? If it’s been more than six months, you know your immunity has waned,” Topol said. “How is your risk? Are you older — greater than 65? Are you immunocompromised? Are you somebody with a lot of comorbidities? You might want to just go now [if so], because you’re vulnerable.”
“For people at risk, I don’t think it’s a good idea to delay,” Topol said.
Another question: Are you getting vaccinated to reduce your chance of long COVID? “Because the studies in totality suggest up to a 50% reduction of long COVID” following vaccination, he said. “In fact, that’s people in their 30s and 40s that are at the highest risk for long COVID after a mild infection, and a lot of people tend to forget that issue.”
Another consideration is whether you are about to go on a trip or planning an unmissable event or experience.
“Right now, if they want to prevent infection, it’s a good time to get something because it’s so closely matched to what’s going around,” Chin-Hong said of the new vaccine.
But if you’re doing lower-risk activities and would rather save your time of enhanced protection against infection for the fall and winter holidays, some doctors say it’s reasonable to wait until October to get vaccinated
Already, it appears that XEC, the new subvariant detected in Europe, may be a contender for a late autumn and winter COVID wave, Topol said.
“Waiting a couple extra months so you’re closer to whatever the next wave/wavelet is like, that’s a reasonable plan,” Topol said. But protecting against infection is less important than protecting against severe illness, which the vaccine is very good at doing.
Topol said he’s getting his COVID-19 vaccination Friday, in part because he’s going on a cross-country trip and he’ll be indoors with crowds and unable to avoid exposure to the virus, he said.
Masking remains important to avoid infection, but there are some situations where people may not be able to wear a mask all the time.
Overall, though, there isn’t any one simple answer as to whether September or October is better for timing your COVID vaccination. “It’s really up to the person,” Topol said.
What about people who had COVID-19 recently?
After infection, people may consider waiting three months to get the latest COVID vaccination, according to the CDC. In terms of when to start counting the three-month period, Hudson said a good rule of thumb would be from when your symptoms began or, if asymptomatic, when you were diagnosed.
Part of that reason, the CDC says, is that “the risk of getting COVID-19 is less likely in the weeks to months following a SARS-CoV-2 infection,” using the formal name of the virus that causes COVID.
Besides potentially being able to benefit from some natural immunity, “there are also some studies that show that waiting for a few months after you’ve had COVID to get your COVID vaccine may increase your overall level of protection,” Hudson said.
But this advice applies only to people who are at lower risk for COVID and its complications, Hudson added.
For those at higher risk — such as seniors 65 and older and those who are immunocompromised — or anyone in frequent contact with people at higher risk, “they should get their vaccine as soon as they’re feeling better,” she said.
What about people who got the old vaccine this summer?
A number of people who weren’t up to date on their vaccinations may have gotten the old vaccine formula — originally released in September 2023 — over the summer. Those people should wait two months before getting the newer shot, Hudson said.
Our universe might be chock-full of cosmic wonder, but you can observe only a fraction of astronomical phenomena with the naked eye. Meteor showers, natural fireworks that streak brightly across the night sky, are one of them.
The latest observable meteor shower will be the Lyrids, which has been active since April 14 and is forecast to continue through April 30. The shower reaches its peak April 21 to 22, or Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
According to NASA, the Lyrids are one of the oldest known meteor showers, and have been enjoyed by stargazers for nearly 3,000 years. Their bright, speedy streaks are caused by the dusty debris from a comet named Thatcher. They appear to spring from the constellation Lyra, which right now can be seen in the eastern sky at night in the Northern Hemisphere.
The moon will be about 27 percent full tonight, appearing as a thick crescent in the sky, according to the American Meteor Society.
To get a hint at when to best watch for the Lyrids, you can use this tool, which relies on data from the Global Meteor Network. It shows fireball activity levels in real time.
And while you gaze at the heavens, keep an eye out for other stray meteors streaking across the night sky. Skywatchers are reporting that the amount of fireballs is double what is usually seen by this point in the year.
Where meteor showers come from
There is a chance you might see a meteor on any given night, but you are most likely to catch one during a shower. Meteor showers are caused by Earth passing through the rubble trailing a comet or asteroid as it swings around the sun. This debris, which can be as small as a grain of sand, leaves behind a glowing stream of light as it burns up in Earth’s atmosphere.
Meteor showers occur around the same time every year and can last for days or weeks. But there is only a small window when each shower is at its peak, which happens when Earth reaches the densest part of the cosmic debris. The peak is the best time to look for a shower. From our point of view on Earth, the meteors will appear to come from the same point in the sky.
The Perseid meteor shower, for example, peaks in mid-August from the constellation Perseus. The Geminids, which occur every December, radiate from the constellation Gemini.
How to watch a meteor shower
Michelle Nichols, the director of public observing at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, recommends forgoing the use of telescopes or binoculars while watching a meteor shower.
“You just need your eyes and, ideally, a dark sky,” she said.
That’s because meteors can shoot across large swaths of the sky, so observing equipment can limit your field of view.
Some showers are strong enough to produce up to 100 streaks an hour, according to the American Meteor Society, though you probably won’t see that many.
“Almost everybody is under a light-polluted sky,” Ms. Nichols said. “You may think you’re under a dark sky, but in reality, even in a small town, you can have bright lights nearby.”
Planetariums, local astronomy clubs or even maps like this one can help you figure out where to go to escape excessive light. The best conditions for catching a meteor shower are a clear sky with no moon or cloud cover, sometime between midnight and sunrise. (Moonlight affects visibility in the same way as light pollution, washing out fainter sources of light in the sky.) Make sure to give your eyes at least 30 minutes to adjust to seeing in the dark.
Ms. Nichols also recommends wearing layers, even during the summer. “You’re going to be sitting there for quite a while, watching,” she said. “It’s going to get chilly, even in August.”
Bring a cup of cocoa or tea for even more warmth. Then lie back, scan the sky and enjoy the show.
Where weather is least likely to affect your view
Storm systems sweep across the country in early spring, and some will be obscuring skies tonight. But there will still be plenty of areas with clear skies, particularly in parts of the central United States.
“The best spot is going to be in the Upper Midwest,” said Rich Bann, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center.
Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa will offer especially good sky-viewing weather and a beach on the Great Lakes could be a nice spot to look up at the stars.
But don’t expect to view the show from Chicago, as Illinois could see some thunderstorms. The weather will be better in the Northern and Central Plains, particularly the eastern Dakotas.
High, wispy clouds are expected over the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys and into parts of the Mid-Atlantic. But, Mr. Bann said, “you may be able to see some shooting stars through thin clouds.”
Clouds will be draped across much of the Southeast and the Northeast, though there could be some clearing in Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia. Remember, the meteors could be visible all night long. If you look outside and see clouds, try again later.
Catching the spectacle will be challenging across much of the West, particularly from Washington into Northern California, where a storm system is bringing rain and snow. That system will move east overnight.
There are likely to be some pockets of clear skies at times across southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southwest Utah, Mr. Bann said.
Amy Graff contributed reporting.
WASHINGTON — Amid growing national security concerns, the FBI said Tuesday that it has launched a broad investigation in the deaths or disappearances of at least 10 scientists and staff connected to highly sensitive research, including four from the Los Angeles area.
“The FBI is spearheading the effort to look for connections into the missing and deceased scientists. We are working with the Department of Energy, Department of War, and with our state and state and local law enforcement partners to find answers,” the agency said in a statement.
The FBI’s announcement comes after the House Oversight Committee announced that it would investigate reports of the disappearance and deaths of the scientists, sending letters seeking information from the agencies involved in the federal inquiry as well as NASA, which owns the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge, where three of the missing or dead scientists worked.
“If the reports are accurate, these deaths and disappearances may represent a grave threat to U.S. national security and to U.S. personnel with access to scientific secrets,” Reps. James Comer (R-Ky.), chairman of the committee, and Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) wrote in the letters.
President Trump told reporters last week that he had been briefed on the missing and dead scientists, which he described as “pretty serious stuff.” He said at the time that he expected answers on whether the deaths were connected “in the next week and a half.”
Michael David Hicks, who studied comets and asteroids at JPL, was the first of the scientists who disappeared or died. He died on July 30, 2023, at the age of 59. No cause of death was disclosed.
A year later, JPL physicist Frank Maiwald died at 61, with no cause of death disclosed.
Two other Los Angeles scientists are part of the string of deaths and disappearances.
On June 22, 2025, Monica Jacinto Reza, a materials scientist at JPL, disappeared while on a hike near Mt. Waterman in the San Gabriel Mountains.
On Feb. 16, Caltech astrophysicist Carl Grillmair was fatally shot on the porch of his Llano home. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s department arrested Freddy Snyder, 29, in connection with the shooting. Snyder had been arrested in December on suspicion of trespassing on Grillmair’s property.
Snyder has been charged with murder.
There is no evidence at this point that the deaths and disappearances, which occurred over a span of four years, are connected.
A spokesperson for NASA, which owns JPL, said in a statement on X that the agency is “coordinating and cooperating with the relevant agencies in relation to the missing scientists.
“At this time, nothing related to NASA indicates a national security threat,” agency spokesperson Bethany Stevens wrote. “The agency is committed to transparency and will provide more information as able.”
Representatives from Caltech, which manages JPL, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The sun had barely risen over the Pacific Ocean when a small motorboat carrying a team of Indigenous artisans and Mexican biologists dropped anchor in a rocky cove near Bahías de Huatulco.
Mauro Habacuc Avendaño Luis, one of the craftsmen, was the first to wade to shore. With an agility belying his age, he struck out over the boulders exposed by low tide. Crouching on a slippery ledge pounded by surf, he reached inside a crevice between two rocks. There, lodged among the urchins, was a snail with a knobby gray shell the size of a walnut. The sight might not dazzle tourists who travel here to see humpback whales, but for Mr. Avendaño, 85, these drab little mollusks represent a way of life.
Marine snails in the genus Plicopurpura are sacred to the Mixtec people of Pinotepa de Don Luis, a small town in southwestern Oaxaca. Men like Mr. Avendaño have been sustainably “milking” them for radiant purple dye for at least 1,500 years. The color suffuses Mixtec textiles and spiritual beliefs. Called tixinda, it symbolizes fertility and death, as well as mythic ties between lunar cycles, women and the sea.
The future of these traditions — and the fate of the snails — are uncertain. The mollusks are subject to intense poaching pressure despite federal protections intended to protect them. Fishermen break them (and the other mollusks they eat) open and sell the meat to local restaurants. Tourists who comb the beaches pluck snails off the rocks and toss them aside.
A severe earthquake in 2020 thrust formerly submerged parts of their habitat above sea level, fatally tossing other mollusks in the snail’s food web to the air, and making once inaccessible places more available to poachers.
Decades ago, dense clusters of snails the size of doorknobs were easy to find, according to Mr. Avendaño. “Full of snails,” he said, sweeping a calloused, violet-stained hand across the coves. Now, most of the snails he finds are small, just over an inch, and yield only a few milliliters of dye.
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