New COVID Variant Emerging In PA As Holidays Approach

Hospitalizations are rising nationwide, and health officials urge Pennsylvanians to get fully vaccinated.
PENNSYLVANIA — A new COVID-19 subvariant called JN.1 has emerged in Pennsylvania and is responsible for an increasing share of coronavirus hospitalizations as the winter holidays approach, officials said.

JN.1 has not displaced HV.1 as the dominant variant in Pennsylvania or nationwide, according to public health officials. JN.1 currently accounts for 14.1 percent of all cases in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's five state area including Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. That's the second most behind HV.1, which accounts for 35.4 percent of all The Pennsylvania Department of Health has not issued alerts related to JN.1 specifically but urged residents to get their vaccinations

“Getting vaccinated remains the most effective way to protect yourself against respiratory viruses that regularly circulate during the holiday season, when many of us attend gatherings with family and friends," Acting Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen said in a statement. "It’s safe to receive both the flu and COVID-19 vaccinations at the same time."cases.