After the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the emergency use of the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines many questions are beginning to circulate.
In the FDA’s press release on Aug. 22, the federal agency said that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have been updated with a, “formula to more closely target currently circulating variants and provide better protection against serious consequences of COVID-19.”
In the release Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said that updated vaccines met the “rigorous, scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality.”
“The updated mRNA vaccines are manufactured using a similar process as previous formulas of these vaccines,” Amanda Hils, an FDA spokesperson told USA TODAY. “The benefits and risks of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are well understood as these vaccines have been administered to hundreds of millions of people in the U.S. and continue to outweigh their risks.”
Here is what you need to know about the updated COVID-19 vaccines.
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Who should get the updated 2024-2025 vaccine?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) spokesperson Rosa Norman told USA TODAY that the government agency recommends that “everyone ages 6 months and older receive an updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the potentially serious outcomes of COVID-19” for this fall and winter season.
The rollout has already begun across the US, and according to CBS News, some in the Bay Area of California have already received the new shot.
The FDA suggests that everyone who is considering getting a vaccine should consult with their healthcare provider first.
“Individuals are encouraged to consider getting an updated COVID-19 vaccine as soon as they are eligible,” Hils said. “It is important to note that the timing and number of doses needed depends on the vaccination status of an individual and if previously vaccinated, the previous COVID-19 vaccine received. Please speak with your health care provider to determine when you should receive your updated COVID-19 vaccine.”
“We recommend that patients ask questions and speak with their health care provider before getting the vaccine, as well as contacting them with any concerns after receiving it,” Hils said. “Adverse events or side effects can be reported to the FDA through the agency’s MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.”
COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness
Norman explained that COVID-19 is a virus that continues to change and the protection against the virus, the latest vaccines, will decline over time.
As new COVID-19 strains emerge, vaccines can be updated to protect against currently circulating variants, will help with the symptoms of long COVID and a serious illness, Norman said.
The CDC uses data from last year to show the importance of vaccinations.
“People with COVID-19 have a wide range of symptoms ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. In 2023, more than 916,300 people were hospitalized due to COVID-19 and more than 75,500 people died from COVID-19,” Norman said. ‘Data continue to show the importance of vaccination to protect against severe outcomes of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death.”
Will this vaccine be effective against variants?
According to the FDA press release, the updated COVID-19 vaccines include “a monovalent (single) component that corresponds to the Omicron variant KP.2 strain of SARS-CoV-2.”
In a statement emailed to USA TODAY, Norman states that the “CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are working together to make sure COVID-19 vaccines continue to match currently circulating variants.”
What are the circulating variants?
JN.1 is a COVID-19 variant that has been circulating since December 2023. The CDC explains how JN.1, KP.2, KP.3, and KP.3.1.1 variants are all connected.
“KP.3.1.1 is a sub-lineage of KP.3,” Norman said. “KP.2, KP.3 and KP.3.1.1 are all descendants of JN.1 and have similar spike proteins.”
Top 10 COVID-19 variants on the CDC’s Nowcast Estimates
Here is a table of the top 10 COVID-19 variants that are predicted to be circulating in the United States according to data from the CDC’s Nowcast Estimates from the two-week period starting Aug. 4 and ending on Aug. 17:
Can’t see the table? Click here to view it.
COVID-19 Current Wastewater Viral Activity Levels Map
CDC data shows that over half of the United States have reported “very high” levels of COVID-19 activity.
Using wastewater or sewage, the CDC tests the water to see if there are any traces of an infectious disease within a community, the government agency says.
Data updated on Aug. 22 by the CDC showed that 28 states and one territory have reported “very high” levels of wastewater viral activity nationwide.
Here is a map of the states and territories that have reported wastewater viral activity levels as of Aug. 22:
Can’t see the map? Click here to view it.
Changes in COVID-19 test positivity within a week
Data collected by the CDC shows that four Western states and six territories that make up Region 9 had the biggest decrease of (-2.8%) in positive COVID-19 cases from Aug. 11 to Aug. 17, 2024. The data was posted on Aug. 26, 2024.
Note: The CDC organizes positivity rates based on regions, as defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Here’s the list of states and their regions’ changes in COVID-19 positivity for the past week:
- Region 1 (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont): -0.4%
- Region 2 (New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands): -2.7%
- Region 3 (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia): +2%
- Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee): +1.6%
- Region 5 (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin): +0.5%
- Region 6 (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas): -1.6%
- Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska): +1.2%
- Region 8 (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming): -2%
- Region 9 (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Marshall Islands, and Republic of Palau): -2.8%
- Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington): -2.1%
The CDC data shows COVID-19 test positivity rate was recorded at 18% for the week of Aug. 11 to Aug. 17, an absolute change of 0% from the prior week.
COVID-19 symptoms
The CDC outlines the basic symptoms of COVID-19 on its website. These symptoms can appear between two to 14 days after exposure to the virus and can range from mild to severe.
These are some of the symptoms of COVID-19:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- Loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
The CDC said you should seek medical attention if you have the following symptoms:
- Trouble breathing
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion
- Inability to wake or stay awake
- Pale, gray or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds
Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at aforbes@gannett.com. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.
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