A health-care worker prepares a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at a vaccination clinic in the Peabody Institute Library in Peabody, Massachusetts, Jan. 26, 2022.
Vanessa Leroy | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The FDA has recently approved updated Covid vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, making them available to Americans within days. This comes at a time when U.S. hospitalizations from the virus are on the rise.
The newly approved vaccines target the omicron variant XBB.1.5 and are authorized for individuals aged 12 and older. Children aged 6 months to 11 years old can receive the vaccines under emergency use authorization. More details can be found on the FDA’s official release.
Despite the approval, the updated vaccines will not be immediately available to the public. The CDC advisory panel is scheduled to meet on Tuesday to vote on the use of the vaccines, and once the CDC director signs off on the recommendations, the shots can be administered at various vaccine distribution sites.
In August, the Biden administration announced that it expects new vaccines targeting the XBB.1.5 variant from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax to be available to the public in mid-September.
It’s important to note that the FDA did not announce a decision on an updated Covid shot from Novavax on Monday. Novavax’s vaccine uses protein-based technology, while Pfizer’s and Moderna’s shots utilize messenger RNA.
The arrival of updated vaccines offers reassurance to Americans as the nation experiences a surge in Covid cases and hospitalizations. Although the vaccines do not specifically target the dominant variants, the manufacturers have stated that they still provide protection against those strains.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla and Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel are urging Americans to receive their updated Covid shot during the same appointment as their annual flu shot.
Hospitalizations have been on the rise for several weeks, driven by newer strains of the virus such as EG.5. On the other hand, the XBB.1.5 variant is declining in the U.S., according to the CDC.
A resident receives a Covid-19 booster shots at a vaccine clinic inside Trinity Evangelic Lutheran Church in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, U.S, on Tuesday, Apr. 5, 2022.
Hannah Beier | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax have released early trial data showing that their new shots provide protection against the Eris variant.
Pfizer and Moderna have also reported a strong immune response against the highly mutated omicron subvariant BA.2.86.
The FDA stated in their release that the updated vaccines are expected to provide good protection against currently circulating variants of Covid-19.
It’s worth mentioning that last year’s boosters from Pfizer and Moderna are no longer authorized in the U.S.
The upcoming vaccine rollout will be the first since the end of the U.S. Covid public health emergency. As a result, vaccine distribution will shift to the private market, with manufacturers selling the updated shots directly to health-care providers at higher prices.
Private insurers and government payers are expected to cover the cost of the vaccines for Americans. Efforts such as the Biden administration’s Bridge Access Program aim to provide free Covid shots to uninsured individuals.
The Biden administration plans to encourage Americans to receive an updated Covid shot this fall, emphasizing that vaccinations remain the safest protection against severe illness and death.
However, it remains uncertain how many Americans will choose to get another shot in the coming months, as only a small percentage of the population has received the latest boosters so far.
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