In a step to combat the latest coronavirus strains, the federal government has given the green light to updated COVID-19 vaccines. This decision by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) means that most Americans can now receive the newest shots from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, even if they haven’t been vaccinated against the coronavirus before. The approach is similar to getting a yearly flu shot, according to the AP. However, approval from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is still needed before the vaccines can be administered widely.
A CDC advisory panel is set to release recommendations on who should receive the updated shots on Tuesday. Vaccinations could begin as early as this week, and individuals can receive both the COVID-19 and flu shots during the same visit. Although COVID-19 hospitalizations have been increasing since late summer, the impact is not as severe as it was at this time last year, thanks to prior vaccinations and infections. However, immunity diminishes over time, and new variants of the virus continue to emerge, potentially evading prior immunity. It has been a year since the previous vaccine updates were made.
Similar to previous vaccinations, the updated shots are approved for adults and children as young as 6 months. The FDA has stated that individuals aged 5 and older can receive a single dose, even if they have never received a COVID-19 vaccine before. Younger children may require additional doses based on their vaccination and infection history. The newest shots address the XBB.1.5 variant, also known as the omicron variant. While this specific strain is no longer dominant, it closely resembles the strains responsible for most COVID-19 cases, leading the FDA to believe it will provide effective cross-protection. These updated shots replace combination vaccines that offered protection against the original coronavirus strain and older omicron variants. Like previous versions, they are expected to provide the most protection against severe illness, hospitalization, and death, rather than mild infection.
(Read more coronavirus vaccine stories.)
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