Federal regulators approved updated COVID-19 vaccines on Thursday, shots designed to more closely target recent virus strains—and ideally whatever variants cause trouble this winter, too. With the Food and Drug Administration's clearance, Pfizer and Moderna are set to begin shipping millions of doses, which should be available in days. A third US manufacturer, Novavax, expects its modified vaccine version to be available a little later, the AP reports. "We strongly encourage those who are eligible to consider receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine to provide better protection against currently circulating variants," said Dr. Peter Marks, the FDA's vaccine chief.
The agency's decision came a bit earlier than last year's rollout of updated COVID-19 vaccines, as a summer wave of the virus continues in most of the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention already has recommended this fall's shot for everyone 6 months and older. While most Americans have some immunity from prior infections or vaccinations or both, that protection wanes. Last fall's shots targeted a different part of the coronavirus family tree, a strain that's no longer circulating, and CDC data shows only about 22.5% of adults and 14% of children received it. Experts answered questions, per the AP, concerning:
- Skipping the new shot: That's "a hazardous way to go," said Dr. Robert Hopkins Jr. of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. Even if a person's last infection was mild, the next might be worse or leave the unvaccinated with long COVID symptoms.
- How soon to be vaccinated: This summer's wave of COVID-19 isn't over, but the inevitable winter surges tend to be worse. And while COVID-19 vaccines do a good job preventing severe disease, hospitalization and death, protection against mild infection lasts only a few months.
- People at high risk: Those in this group shouldn't wait but instead schedule vaccinations once shots are available in their area, Hopkins advised. That includes older adults, people with weak immune systems or other serious medical problems, nursing home residents, and pregnant women.
- Younger, healthier people: Children and younger adults with no major issues "can get vaccinated anytime," Hoskins said. There's no reason to wait, he added—though it's OK to seek the shots in the fall, when plenty of doses will have arrived at pharmacies and doctor's offices.
- An exception: The CDC says anyone who recently had COVID-19 can wait three months after recovery before getting vaccinated, until immunity from that infection begins to wane.
- Flu, too: Health authorities say it's fine to get COVID-19 and flu vaccinations at the same time, a convenience so people don't have to make two trips.
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