Millions of updated COVID-19 vaccines will soon be available ahead of the flu and fall-winter season. On Thursday, Aug. 22, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved and granted emergency use authorization for updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.
The updated vaccines will more closely target circulating variants and provide better protection against serious consequences of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death, said the FDA.
In California, the recent COVID-19 wave posted some of the highest summer cases since 2022, according to the California Department of Public Health.
According to California Department of Public Health data, COVID-19 positivity rates have increased 14% over the past 60 days. During that same time, deaths attributed to COVID-19 went up 2%.
“Vaccination continues to be the cornerstone of COVID-19 prevention,” said Director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research Peter Marks in a statement. “These updated vaccines meet the agency’s rigorous, scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality.”
“Given waning immunity of the population from previous exposure to the virus and from prior vaccination, we strongly encourage those who are eligible to consider receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine to provide better protection against currently circulating variants,” Marks added.
The updated vaccines include the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, both of which are authorized for people 6 months through 11 years of age. Also included, are Comirnaty and Spikevax, both of which are approved for people 12 and older.
Here’s what else to know about about the updated vaccine.
When will the updated COVID-19 vaccines be available?
Anyone aged 6 months and older who got their last COVID-19 vaccine primary or booster shot at least two months ago can get an updated COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer or Moderna, through California’s Vaccine Appointment Site.
Walgreens and CVS previously told USA TODAY shipments of the vaccines could arrive a few days after FDA approval.
According to a news release, people can schedule appointments with Walgreens now, with available appointments starting nationwide on Sept. 6. Additional appointments will be added daily as inventory arrives at stores. Appointments can be scheduled by visiting Walgreens.com/ScheduleVaccine, using the Walgreens app or calling 1-800-WALGREENS
Who should receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine?
Everyone ages 6 months and older should get a 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC especially recommends the vaccine for people who are 65 and older, are at high risk for severe COVID-19 or have never received a COVID-19 vaccine.
Since vaccine protection decreases over time, it is important to stay up to date with the COVID-19 vaccine, said the CDC. Furthermore, receiving the updated vaccine can provide increased protection against currently circulating strains of the virus.
When should you receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine?
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at UCSF Health, told KQED that older people (age 65 and over) or people who are immunocompromised who have neither had a COVID-19 vaccine in the last year nor had a COVID-19 infection should seek out their new vaccine as soon as they can. These were the “folks I saw in the hospital very ill with COVID in the past few months,” Chin-Hong said.
Others might consider waiting until September or October if they want maximal protection through the anticipated winter COVID-19 wave, as well as over the holidays.
“Getting vaccinated sometime in the September to early October time frame seems like a pretty reasonable thing to do to help bring you protection through the December/January time frame,” said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, in a statement,
Chin-Hong told KQED the “sweet spot” for getting the new COVID-19 vaccine, if you’re not in that higher-risk group above, “is still some time in October so that antibodies peak in the winter when things are expected to be worse than the summer.”
How many doses of the updated COVID-19 vaccine are required?
According to the FDA, unvaccinated individuals 6 months through 4 years of age can receive three doses of the updated, authorized Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or two doses of the updated, authorized Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine.
Individuals 6 months through 4 years of age who have previously been vaccinated against COVID-19 can receive one or two doses of the updated, authorized Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines. The timing and number of doses will depend on the previous COVID-19 vaccine received.
Individuals 5-11, regardless of previous vaccinations, are eligible to receive a single dose of the updated, authorized Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. If previously vaccinated, the dose is administered at least 2 months after the last dose of any COVID-19 vaccine.
Individuals 12 and older can receive a single dose of the updated, approved Comirnaty or the updated, approved Spikevax. If previously vaccinated, the dose must be administered at least two months after the last dose of any COVID-19 vaccine.
How to get free COVID-19 tests?
No-cost COVID-19 testing continues to be available for uninsured people or people who believe they have been exposed to the virus. The COVID-19 Testing Locator website provides a list of free testing sites.
The website allows users to find their nearest, most convenient location and then contact the provider to schedule an appointment.
Should I get my 2024 flu shot at the same time as my new COVID vaccine?
Yes. It is safe to get your flu shot at the same time as your new COVID-19 vaccine, the CDC reports.
CDC recommends everyone 6 months of age and older, with rare exceptions, receive an updated 2024-2025 flu vaccine to reduce the risk of influenza and its potentially serious complications this fall and winter.
Updated 2024-2025 flu vaccines will all be trivalent and will protect against an H1N1, H3N2 and a B/Victoria lineage virus. The composition of this season’s vaccine compared to last has been updated with a new influenza A(H3N2) virus.
USA TODAY contributed to this report.
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