Updated COVID-19 vaccine and booster shots are expected to be available nationwide as soon as Wednesday, after a panel of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s outside vaccine advisers voted by a wide majority to back new shots retargeted for newer variants ahead of the fall virus season.
The CDC panel’s vote comes after the FDA approved and authorized the new shots from Moderna and Pfizer on Monday, amid an increase in COVID hospitalizations and concern about the spread of several new variants.
“CDC is now recommending updated COVID-19 vaccination for everyone 6 months and older to better protect you and your loved ones,” CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said in a release after signing off on the panel’s recommendations.
The CDC committee voted in favor of “universal” recommendations for the shots to all Americans who are eligible, after weighing data and modeling backing the need for the new shots.
“The public can be assured that these updated vaccines have met the agency’s rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality. We very much encourage those who are eligible to consider getting vaccinated,” Dr. Peter Marks, director of FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a news release announcing the move.
The FDA said it greenlighted at least one dose of the updated vaccines for Americans as young as 6 months old.
“We expect this season’s vaccine to be available in the coming days, pending recommendation from public health authorities, so people can ask their doctor about receiving their COVID-19 vaccine during the same appointment as their annual flu shot,” Albert Bourla, chairman and CEO at Pfizer, said in a statement.
The new shots are similar to previously approved formulas but were updated to target the XBB variants — strains of the virus descended from the original Omicron variant — which became dominant last winter.
Newer descendant strains have since emerged, though vaccine makers have announced early findings suggesting their shots will also work for the latest strains on the rise, including BA.2.86.
“The upcoming, updated COVID booster shots still provide the best protection we have against the disease, especially the most severe forms of COVID,” Emily Smith, a global health expert and author of “The Science of the Good Samaritan,” told CBS News in an email. “Even though we continue to have new variants of COVID pop up, the good news is that the updated booster shots still work against the current variants circulating, including the newest variants.”
Smith says her whole family, including her children, will get the booster shots when they’re available.
“With the recent surge in cases and projected surges this fall, now is the time to get your vaccines,” she added.
When will the new COVID booster be available?
Shots from Pfizer and Moderna can begin shipping out this week following the FDA’s authorizations and approvals for the revised mRNA vaccines.
Vaccinators have already been pre-ordering doses. The shipments mark the first largely purchased and delivered through the traditional commercial market, instead of the government-bought supplies from earlier in the pandemic.
While the FDA’s move also means vaccinators can legally begin offering the shots, most will likely wait until the CDC also weighs in with its recommendations on the revised vaccines. That is a key step to guarantee federal liability protections for vaccinators.
The Biden administration has said it plans to continue offering its online search portal to find COVID-19 vaccinations. However, for Americans with private insurance, whether their plans cover options on that website may vary between insurers.
A third option is also expected to roll…
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