Government officials have revealed that updated COVID-19 booster shots will be made available to the American public in mid-September. According to anonymous sources from the FDA and CDC speaking to CNN and NBC News, the U.S. FDA is expected to approve the new vaccine dose in the coming weeks. These booster shots have been specifically designed to target the currently circulating variants of the virus.
According to the CDC official who spoke to NBC News, the goal is to ensure the utilization of these new tools as vaccination remains crucial this year due to the waning immunity and ongoing mutations of the COVID-19 virus.
The updated vaccines are anticipated to be available for individuals aged 12 and up, with Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax being the manufacturers. These vaccines are formulated to combat the XBB.1.5 subvariant, which is gradually losing its dominance. However, testing has shown that the doses are also effective against the newly dominant EG.5 strain.
Officials are optimistic about achieving a higher vaccination rate with this new vaccine, as only slightly over 20% of adults received last year’s bivalent booster.
The reported timeline indicates that the vaccines will be available slightly earlier than previously mentioned. Previously, CDC Director Mandy Cohen mentioned in an interview with NPR that a new COVID booster would likely be available in early October.
This announcement comes amid a rise in COVID-19 cases in the U.S. during the late summer season. However, the number of new COVID-19 hospitalizations has significantly decreased compared to last year. Nevertheless, the CDC has reported a 21.6% increase in hospital admissions for COVID-19 this past week, marking the fifth consecutive week of rising admissions.
In response to these figures, some establishments, including hospitals, a university, and a Hollywood studio, have reintroduced mask mandates.
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