Current:Home > StocksCDC panel recommends updated COVID vaccines. Shots could be ready this week-LoTradeCoin
CDC panel recommends updated COVID vaccines. Shots could be ready this week
View Date:2024-12-23 20:37:04
Americans may soon be able to get an updated COVID-19 vaccine.
Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday endorsed the new shots for everyone 6 months of age and older. The agency’s director is expected to sign off on the panel’s recommendation. The vaccines could be available this week.
The severity of the COVID-19 pandemic has faded, but there are still hundreds of hospitalizations and hundreds of deaths in the U.S. each week. Hospitalizations have been increasing since late summer, though the latest data indicate infections may be starting to level off, particularly in the South.
Still, experts worry that immunity from previous vaccinations and infections is fading in many people, and a new shot would save many lives.
Doctors hope enough people get vaccinated to help avert another “tripledemic” like last year when hospitals were overwhelmed with an early flu season, an onslaught of RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, and yet another winter coronavirus surge.
Here is what you need to know about the new COVID-19 shots:
WHO SHOULD GET THE UPDA
TED VACCINE?
The Food and Drug Administration approved the updated shots for adults and children as young as age 6 months. FDA said starting at age 5, most people can get a single dose even if they’ve never had a prior COVID-19 shot. Younger children might need additional doses depending on their history of COVID-19 infections and vaccinations.
The CDC decides how best to use vaccines and makes recommendations for U.S. doctors and the general public. The agency’s panel of outside exerts recommended the updated COVID-19 shots by a vote of 13-1. The no vote came from a panel member who had argued that the new shots should initially be recommended only for older people and others at greatest risk of severe illness. But other panel members said all ages could — and should — benefit.
“We need to make vaccination recommendations as clear as possible,” said one panel member, Dr. Camille Kotton, an infectious diseases doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital.
WHERE CAN I GET A SHOT?
The new vaccine will be available at pharmacies, health centers and some doctor offices. Locations will be listed on the government’s vaccines.gov website. The list price of a dose of each shot is $120 to $130, according to the manufacturers. But federal officials said the new COVID-19 shots still will be free to most Americans through private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid. For the uninsured or underinsured, the CDC is working with health departments, clinics and certain pharmacies to temporarily provide free shots.
On Tuesday, a Pfizer official said his company expected to have doses available at some U.S. locations as early as Wednesday.
WHY MORE COVID-19 SHOTS?
Similar to how flu shots are updated each year, the FDA gave COVID-19 vaccine makers a new recipe for this fall. The updated shots have a single target, an omicron descendant named XBB.1.5. It’s a big change. The COVID-19 vaccines offered since last year are combination shots targeting the original coronavirus strain and a much earlier omicron version, making them very outdated.
Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax all have brewed new supplies, and the FDA on Monday approved shots from Pfizer and Moderna. Novavax’s updated vaccine is still under review.
WILL THEY BE EFFECTIVE ENOUGH?
Health officials are optimistic, barring a new mutant. As expected, XBB.1.5 has faded away in the months it took to tweak the vaccine. Today, there is a soup of different coronavirus variants causing illness and the most common ones are fairly close relatives. Recent lab testing from vaccine makers and other research groups suggest the updated shots will offer crossover protection.
Earlier vaccinations or infections have continued to help prevent severe disease and death but protection wanes over time, especially against milder infections as the virus continually evolves. The FDA did allow seniors and others at high risk to get an extra booster dose last spring. But most Americans haven’t had a vaccination in about a year; only about 20% of adults ever received the combo version.
CAN I GET A FLU SHOT AND COVID-19 SHOT AT THE SAME TIME?
Yes. The CDC says there is no difference in effectiveness or side effects if people get those vaccines simultaneously, although one in each arm might be more comfortable. The CDC urges a yearly flu shot for pretty much everyone ages 6 months and up. The best time is by the end of October.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
veryGood! (4)
Related
- Britney Spears reunites with son Jayden, 18, after kids moved in with dad Kevin Federline
- Activists Urge the International Energy Agency to Remove Paywalls Around its Data
- Margot Robbie's Barbie-Inspired Look Will Make You Do a Double Take
- The Biden administration demands that TikTok be sold, or risk a nationwide ban
- Satellite images and documents indicate China working on nuclear propulsion for new aircraft carrier
- South Korean court overturns impeachment of government minister ousted over deadly crowd crush
- Kylie Jenner Legally Changes Name of Her and Travis Scott's Son to Aire Webster
- The Biden administration demands that TikTok be sold, or risk a nationwide ban
- 2 Florida women charged after shooting death of photographer is livestreamed
- How Nick Cannon Honored Late Son Zen on What Would've Been His 2nd Birthday
Ranking
- It's Red Cup Day at Starbucks: Here's how to get your holiday cup and cash in on deals
- Some of Asa Hutchinson's campaign events attract 6 voters. He's still optimistic about his 2024 primary prospects
- A Furious Industry Backlash Greets Moves by California Cities to Ban Natural Gas in New Construction
- The U.K. is the latest to ban TikTok on government phones because of security concerns
- Northern Taurid meteor shower hits peak activity this week: When and where to watch
- The Fires That Raged on This Greek Island Are Out. Now Northern Evia Faces a Long Road to Recovery
- Biden’s Pick for the EPA’s Top Air Pollution Job Finds Himself Caught in the Crossfire
- Despite One Big Dissent, Minnesota Utilities Approve of Coal Plant Sale. But Obstacles Remain
Recommendation
-
Princess Kate makes rare public appearance after completing cancer chemo
-
Stocks drop as fears grow about the global banking system
-
These Top-Rated $25 Leggings Survived Workouts, the Washing Machine, and My Weight Fluctuations
-
Pollution from N.C.’s Commercial Poultry Farms Disproportionately Harms Communities of Color
-
Does your dog have arthritis? A lot of them do. But treatment can be tricky
-
Honda recalls nearly 500,000 vehicles because front seat belts may not latch properly
-
Janet Yellen says the federal government won't bail out Silicon Valley Bank
-
Inside Clean Energy: Which State Will Be the First to Ban Natural Gas in New Buildings?