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.
The KP.3.1.1 variant is currently the most prevalent variant in Tennessee and the rest of the United States. Latest CDC data shows that in the two week period between Aug. 4 and Aug. 17, KP.3.1.1 accounted between 31% to 43% of COVID-19 clinical specimens.
In Region 4 — which includes Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina — the KP.3.1.1 variant accounted for 31% to 42% of of COVID-19 clinical specimens. According to the Tennessee Department of Health, there were 499 new COVID-19 cases in Davidson County for the week of Aug. 4.
“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?
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.
How many doses of the updated COVID-19 vaccine are required?
According to the FDA, unvaccinated individuals 6 months through 4 years of age are eligible to 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 are eligible to 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 are eligible to receive a single dose of the updated, approved Comirnaty or the updated, approved Spikevax. If previously vaccinated, the dose is administered at least 2 months since 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. A list of free COVID-19 testing sites can be found on the COVID-19 Testing Locator website.
People are able to use the website to find their nearest, most convenient location and can then contact the provider to schedule an appointment.
USA TODAY contributed to this report.
Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @_leyvadiana
Discover more from PressNewsAgency
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.