The bivalent vaccine is no longer authorized by the FDA, the CDC said. The previous booster rolled out last fall was bivalent, meaning it included two strains - the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and the omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, says Mulligan.

Unlike the last round of boosters, the updated mRNA vaccines are monovalent, which means they target a single variant. Mark Mulligan, director of NYU Langone Vaccine Center, tells. It may be first of what will become an 'annual COVID-19 shot' that gets revamped every year, similar to the seasonal influenza vaccine, Dr. for most of 2023.Īlthough many are referring to the updated vaccine as a booster, the shot looks different from its predecessors. The newest COVID-19 booster is an updated vaccine that targets the omicron XBB.1.5 variant, which was the dominant strain circulating in the U.S. Here's what else we know about the updated vaccine, availability, side effects and cost so far. Others have had appointments canceled or rescheduled, and parents report they have had issues getting their children vaccinated as pharmacies and pediatrician's offices struggle to secure enough child-size doses.ĭespite these early hurdles, experts say they do not expect long-term delays in COVID-19 vaccine availability this fall and the Biden administration says insurance issues for COVID-19 vaccines have largely been resolved. Some people seeking the new shot have run into high demand, supply delays and insurance headaches, the Associated Press reported. The vaccine rollout has hit some speed bumps in the last month. “COVID continues to pose a health threat, but we have more and more tools,” Cohen said. Mandy Cohen said at the 2023 National Foundation for Infectious Diseases news conference on Sept.

“We fully expect, based on what we’ve seen in previous years, that we’re going to see an increase in COVID (this fall and winter),” CDC Director Dr. The CDC recommends everyone who is eligible get least one dose of an updated booster to protect against serious COVID-related outcomes, including hospitalization and death.Īfter a late summer surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, officials are bracing for another wave and a potential tripledemic of COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) for the second winter in a row. In October, the FDA approved a protein-based non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccine from Novavax for everyone ages 12 and older, NBC News reported. Food and Drug Administration authorized two new mRNA vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech for everyone 6 months and older. However, the new shots should still provide good protection against the other strains currently circulating, including the EG.5 or 'Eris' subvariant and BA.2.86 or 'Pirola,' according to experts. The updated COVID-19 vaccines have been reformulated by manufacturers to target one variant, omicron XBB.1.5. have received the new booster so far, Reuters reported. More than seven million people in the U.S. Since the CDC signed off on the new shots in early September, millions of doses have arrived at pharmacies, doctor’s offices and clinics around the country.Īs concerns grow about a winter COVID-19 surge, the Biden Administration is urging more Americans to roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated this fall.

Moderna bivalent side effects