The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has given the green light to the latest COVID-19 booster as the omicron variants continue to spread and cases surge.
On Tuesday, a CDC panel voted 13-1 in favor of the updated vaccine, recommending that everyone aged 6 months and older should receive the shot, as it closely matches the currently dominant variants. The doses are expected to be available later this week.
CDC Director Mandy Cohen expressed her support for the recommendation on Tuesday.
“We now have more tools than ever to prevent severe outcomes from COVID-19,” she said in a statement, emphasizing that the updated vaccinations will provide “better protection for you and your loved ones.”
The approval from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices comes after the Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization for the updated vaccine, which specifically targets the XBB.1.5 subvariant of omicron, also known as “Kraken.” The booster shots, produced by Pfizer, BioNTech SE, and Moderna, are expected to be available in the coming days.
Novavax’s vaccine booster is still under review by the FDA, according to the company. Novavax’s vaccine offers a protein-based alternative to the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna.
The booster shots come at a time when the EG.5 subvariant, nicknamed “Eris,” is currently causing the majority of cases in the United States. According to the CDC, COVID-19 hospitalizations grew by almost 16% in the week ending August 26, and COVID-19 deaths increased by over 10% in the week ending September 2.
Both Moderna and Pfizer have confirmed that their new boosters are effective against Eris and the BA.2.86 strain.
Since May, the responsibility for COVID-19 vaccinations has been transitioned from the U.S. government to the private sector. Moderna has announced that its new booster will be priced at $129 per dose, while Pfizer’s booster will cost $120 per dose. Novavax has stated that they will sell their vaccine at $130 per dose, but their contracted price with the CDC is $72.50 per dose.
For most Americans with health insurance, the vaccines are still expected to be free.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, a leading infectious disease expert and former chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden, acknowledged the rise in COVID-19 cases in the U.S., but expressed optimism that the country will not be overwhelmed by the virus this winter, as most Americans have antibodies from vaccinations and previous infections.
He said, “I don’t think any of us in the public health field are predicting that this will be a tsunami of hospitalizations and deaths like we saw a year or more ago.”
This fall and winter will be the first virus season in which vaccines are available for COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus, and the flu—the three main causes of hospitalizations. The CDC reported that those who received a COVID-19 vaccine last season Follow Google News
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