A revamped single-dose “booster” vaccine is expected to hit pharmacy shelves just as the cold and flu season picks up. This week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized new shots for emergency use, and a panel of experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that almost everyone in the United States to get one.
But how soon should Americans go to their local pharmacies to get the new vaccine? And, after so many people have already been vaccinated or sick with Covid, is there any urgency to getting another dose? Below, we detail the agencies’ latest recommendations.
What exactly has the FDA authorized?
The FDA has authorized updated versions of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines. As Covid continues to circulate, the virus mutates, much like the flu virus. For this reason, pharmaceutical companies have developed a booster to target one of the most circulating strains of Covid-19 this season, XBB. Variant 1.5.
This fall is the first time adults will be able to get vaccinated against influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and Covid-19, all of which protect against commonly circulating respiratory illnesses. This year’s Covid recall is for XBB. Variant 1.5.
Who should receive the new reminder?
When the FDA authorizes a new vaccine, the CDC makes recommendations on who should receive them and when. In short, the agency recommended this booster for anyone over six months old – with some caveats.
Anyone who recently had Covid-19 can wait three months to get the updated booster, and anyone who recently received a booster should wait two months before getting the new shot. The agency’s panel placed particular emphasis on whether certain groups were getting the new photo.
“The most important ones are those who are at greatest risk of severe disease,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, a vaccinologist and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.
The people most at risk are those aged over 65; suffering from health problems such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic lung or heart disease; and those who may be immunocompromised, such as those taking immunosuppressive medications and pregnant people.
If I am already vaccinated or if I have had Covid, why should I get vaccinated again?
Although most Americans will have some immunity to Covid-19 through previous infection or vaccination, the likelihood of catching Covid again increases over time as new variants circulate and immunity increases. of previous vaccines decreases.
Agencies hope that providing updated vaccines will help prevent serious illnesses, the kind that could put a person in the hospital or even lead to death. Additionally, data shows that getting vaccinated against Covid-19 can help reduce the risk of contracting so-called long Covid, in which symptoms of fatigue and fogginess can persist for months. As a result, agencies have recommended that large swathes of the American public get vaccinated.
“I’ll be first in line” to get the updated shot, said Hotez, who supports the CDC’s broad recommendation. “Even if the number of hospitalizations will not come close” to the waves of 2021 and 2022. “In terms of individual health choice, I think there is still a vulnerability.”
How long does immunity last from the new injection?
Maximum protection should occur a few weeks after the dose and last for a few months. After this time, immunity declines, either because of new variants circulating or because of the reduced effectiveness of the vaccine (according to documents from this week’s meetings, it is difficult for experts to ‘analyze the exact answers in the available data).
Do all experts agree with the CDC recommendation?
Although a panel of CDC experts voted in favor of the new recommendations, not all experts agree on the strategy. Dr. Paul Offit, an expert in virology and immunology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a member of the FDA’s expert panel on vaccines, argues that the government should focus on the country’s most vulnerable groups.
In 2022, only 43% of people over 65 – a group at high risk of hospitalization due to the disease – have received a booster dose. This group in particular should be the subject of a recall campaign, he said.
“My feeling about this, and it’s a feeling shared by health advisors in many other countries, is that the goal of this vaccine is to prevent serious disease,” Offit said. “The question then becomes, who is most likely to suffer from serious illness? Who is at greatest risk?
People most at risk are those over the age of 75, with underlying health conditions (such as those mentioned above), and people who are immunocompromised, according to CDC data. With rare exceptions, such as nursing home workers and people living with immunocompromised people, the “best strategy is to target those most at risk,” Offit said.
Will I have to pay for the new vaccine?
Probably not. Health insurance will cover the cost of the booster dose for most Americans. For those without health insurance — about 27 million Americans, according to the CDC — the federal Bridge Access program will cover the cost of vaccines through 2024. For those who pay cash, Pfizer and Moderna have set the list price of their vaccines. at $120 and $129 respectively.