A new COVID-19 vaccine booster is coming this fall.
On Monday, Sept. 11, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized an updated vaccination formula to better protect against currently circulating coronavirus variants.
Manufacturers Pfizer and Moderna expect to have the shots available “in the near future.”
The new shots will include a monovalent component that specifically targets the omicron variant XBB.1.5. That’s unlike the last shot, which was bivalent and included components that corresponded to both the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 from 2020, and the omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5.
Vaccine experts recommended a booster that targets the XBB.1.5 variant after recent studies showed the shot would be similarly effective against currently circulating variants like EG.5 and BA.2.86.
Individuals 6 months and older will be eligible for the new COVID-19 booster. Those 5 years and older will be eligible at least two months after their last dose of any COVID vaccine.
Children 6 months to 4 years old who were previously vaccinated will be eligible for another shot or two, depending on their timing and the number of doses previously received. Kids who haven’t yet been vaccinated will be eligible for three doses of the new Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine or two doses of the new Moderna vaccine.
Related: What’s this new COVID variant and is another vaccine coming?
The FDA says the shot’s benefits outweigh any potential risks, much like the previous versions of the vaccine. An advisory group of vaccination experts will meet Tuesday, Sept. 12, to come up with a specific recommendation of who should plan to get the new booster.
“Vaccination remains critical to public health and continued protection against serious consequences of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death,” said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, in a prepared statement.
“The public can be assured that these updated vaccines have met the agency’s rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality. We very much encourage those who are eligible to consider getting vaccinated.”
Individuals who receive the updated COVID vaccine may experience similar side effects as they did following previous COVID shots. That can include pain and redness at the injection spot, as well as tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, and/or nausea.
In rare cases, individuals may experience other adverse events immediately after being vaccinated, including severe allergic reactions. That’s why vaccine providers monitor recipients for at least 15 minutes after the dose is administered.
More than 6.39 million Michigan residents have received at least one dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine since winter 2020. While 64% of the population got one of the first available vaccines, only about 39% of the population got a booster shot.
Michigan’s reported COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations have been low for months. Health officials continue to monitor things like hospital admissions and wastewater data, and they expect at least some level of increase in coronavirus as the state moves into cold and flu season.
To find a vaccine provider near you, use the online vaccine finder, or call 888-535-6136 (press 1) between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the weekend.
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