The FDA just approved new COVID vaccines. Here’s when they’ll be available in Washington
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved updated COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech as case counts continue to rise.
The new vaccine, which is approved for anyone over six months old, comes as the percentage of COVID tests coming back positive nationwide is the highest it’s been in over a year. The surge is happening primarily for two reasons:
New variants are popping up that natural immunity does not protect against.
Most of the population isn’t regularly receiving shots, so immunity is waning.
The dominant strain in the US now is KP.3.1.1, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The strain is estimated to account for 37% of cases over the past two weeks, representing a threefold increase from its prevalence a month ago
McClatchy spoke with Seth Cohen, the medical director of infection prevention at the University of Washington Medical Center, to get all the information you need about the new booster. Here’s what Cohen had to say:
Who should get the new vaccine?
Cohen: It’s approved for everybody six months and older. We think that the highest benefit is for people who are at higher risk, so people over the age of 65 people with underlying medical conditions, including people who are immunocompromised.
What are the benefits of getting the new shot for people who aren’t particularly at high risk?
Cohen: For people who aren’t in those high-risk categories, we think there’s a reduction in long COVID which can happen with anybody. And then particularly for kids who are going back to school, the potential benefits would be reduction in sick days and urgent care visits, which would make the school year and learning much less disruptive.
How is KP.3.1.1 different from previous strains?
Cohen: These are all theoretically descendants of Omicron, though there’s quite a bit of genetic difference between them, and there’s enough difference now that we need updated vaccines. The last round of boosters provide some immunity, though, at this point, it has probably waned, and just like the flu vaccine every year, it’s time to update it. So the new vaccines are based on the KP.2 variant, which should have coverage for the strain that is in current circulation.
Do the symptoms differ at all from prior strains?
Cohen: The symptoms are, in general, very similar to prior strains.
Do the previous versions of the vaccine still protect against KP.3.1.1?
Cohen: Not as well. You know, I think it depends when people were vaccinated. But at this point, it’s time to update your immunization.
Does this vaccine protect against other strains as well?
Cohen: It does. It’s always hard to predict, right, how, how the virus is getting mutated in the future, but we certainly hope that the vaccine will continue to protect against offshoots of these current variants.
Are most Washingtonians staying up to date on their COVID vaccines?
Cohen: Coverage is relatively low. I think the coverage for the most recent booster was somewhere between 20% and 30%, depending on the age group. People over the age of 65 have done a much better job in terms of keeping up to date. It doesn’t mean that people aren’t immune. A large segment of our population was likely infected over the summer with our summer surge, and so people are going to have immunity from that at least for a couple months. But once that wanes, it would be important to get the updated booster before the next round of infections comes on.
Can you get your COVID and flu shots at the same time?
Cohen: Yes, no problem. And in fact, we encourage it because it’s just easier, more convenient to do, particularly in children.
When will the updated COVID vaccine be available in WA?
So when will you be able to get the new vaccine in Washington? Likely soon, although there’s no set date when shipments are expected to arrive in the state, according to the state’s Department of Health.
“We are still awaiting more information from the FDA, including when the current 2023-2024 vaccine will be deauthorized and when states will be allowed to place orders for the new 2024-2025 vaccine,” a department spokesperson stated in an email to McClatchy. “Stay tuned to our social media channels for more information as we receive it.”
Where can I get the new COVID vaccine?
▪ Walgreens customers can now schedule appointments to receive the updated vaccine at walgreens.com/schedulevaccine, with availability starting Sept. 6, according to a news release. Additional appointments will be added as daily inventory arrives.
▪ Doses are expected to start arriving at CVS locations within a few days, a pharmacy representative told CNN. Walk-in appointments will be available once the vaccine arrives, and customers will be able to schedule appointments online.
▪ You can also find vaccines through the CDC’s online pharmacy lookup tool at vaccines.gov once COVID and updated influenza (flu) vaccines become widely available, the website says.
This story was originally published August 27, 2024 at 10:52 AM.