Updated COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots are expected to be available nationwide as early as Wednesday after a panel of outside immunization advisers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted overwhelmingly to support new shots targeting newer variants before the fall Virus season.
The CDC panel’s vote comes after the FDA approved and authorized new vaccinations from Moderna and Pfizer on Monday, amid an increase in COVID hospitalizations and concerns about the spread of several new variants.
“CDC now recommends updated COVID-19 vaccination for everyone 6 months and older to better protect you and your loved ones,” said CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen in a press release after signing the panel’s recommendations.
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The CDC committee voted to make “universal” recommendations for vaccinations for all eligible Americans after weighing data and models showing the need for the new shots.
“The public can be assured that these updated vaccines meet the agency’s rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality. We encourage those who are eligible to consider vaccination,” Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a press release announcing the move.
The FDA said it has given the green light to 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, depending on the recommendation of health authorities, so people can ask their doctor about receiving their COVID-19 vaccine during the same appointment as their annual flu shot.” said Albert Bourla, chairman and CEO of Pfizer, in a statement.
The new vaccinations are similar to previously approved formulas but have been updated to target the XBB variants – virus strains descended from the original Omicron variant – that became dominant last winter.
Since then, newer offspring strains have emerged, although vaccine makers have announced early results suggesting their shots work even against the newest strains on the rise, including BA.2.86.
“The upcoming, updated COVID booster shots still provide the best protection we have against the disease, particularly the most severe forms of COVID,” said Emily Smith, a global health expert and author of “The Science of the Good Samaritan.” told CBS News in an email. “While new variants of COVID continue to emerge, the good news is that the updated booster shots are still effective against the variants currently circulating, including the newest variants.”
Smith says her entire family, including her children, will receive the booster shots as soon as they become available.
“With the recent surge in cases and projected increases this fall, now is the time to get vaccinated,” she added.
When will the new COVID booster be available?
Vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna can begin shipping this week after the FDA approved and authorized the revised mRNA vaccines.
Vaccinators have already pre-ordered doses. The supplies are the first to be purchased and delivered largely through the traditional commercial market, rather than the supplies purchased by the government at the start of the pandemic.
While the FDA’s move also means vaccinators can legally begin offering the shots, most will likely wait until the CDC also makes its recommendations on the revised vaccines. This is an important step in ensuring federal liability protection for vaccinators.
The Biden administration has said it will continue to offer its online search portal for finding COVID-19 vaccinations. However, for Americans with private insurance, whether their plans cover the options on this website may vary depending on the insurer.
A third option is expected to come to market later this year from Novavax; The company announced last month that it was also seeking FDA approval for an update to its COVID vaccine. Pfizer and Moderna had already completed their applications at the beginning of the summer.
“Novavax is currently responding to FDA requests to facilitate final review, and the timing is ultimately at the FDA’s discretion,” the vaccine maker said in a news release Monday.
Are COVID boosters still free?
For insured Americans, COVID-19 vaccines remain free through in-network providers, similar to the annual flu shot.
Under a law passed early in the pandemic, private insurers were required to cover COVID-19 vaccines “immediately upon approval or approval of the vaccine” by the FDA. This differs from other vaccinations, where insurers typically have several months to implement coverage.
With Medicare, seniors continue to pay nothing for their COVID-19 vaccinations from providers who accept Medicare orders, a spokesperson for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said. Medicare Advantage beneficiaries also don’t have to pay as long as they get their vaccinations from an in-network provider.
For uninsured Americans, the Biden administration wants to offer free vaccinations at health centers, local health departments and eventually pharmacies as part of its “Bridge Access Program.”
Who should take the photos?
The FDA says virtually all Americans as young as 6 months old have now received clearance or authorization to receive at least one dose of Pfizer or Moderna from their updated formulation.
A panel of CDC’s outside immunization advisers voted 13 votes for and one against to make a general recommendation for all eligible Americans to get vaccinated, as authorized or authorized by the FDA.
Not all experts agree on whether the new vaccinations should be recommended to everyone or only to those at higher risk of serious illness.
John Moore, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Weill Cornell Medical College, told KFF Health News that he doesn’t see the new vaccinations as “remotely groundbreaking.”
For healthier adults and children, “this means an increase in protection for a few months,” Moore said.
Coronavirus pandemic
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