New FDA-approved COVID vaccine recommended amid surge but when will shots be available?

Public health officials are recommending a new COVID-19 booster vaccine to protect against variants of the virus that are circulating across the country.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved on Monday the use of Comirnaty, an updated mRNA vaccine that was manufactured by ModernaTX Inc. and Pfizer Inc.

“Vaccination remains critical to public health and continued protection against serious consequences of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death,” said Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, in a statement. “The public can be assured that these updated vaccines have met the agency’s rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality."

The push for the latest vaccination is joined by health officials in Springfield as COVID cases continue to rise, according to Dr. Anna Richie, clinical director of Memorial Urgent Care.

“Most of the summer our positivity rate was less than 10% but in the past two weeks it's been around 20%. We’re seeing a steady uptick,” she said.

The new vaccination has been updated to target popular Omicron subvariants like the XBB1.5 which was deemed the most transmissible, according to the American Medical Association. Richie recommends the new booster because it can help protect people who are at high risk and it decreases the chance of long COVID.

“If everyone gets vaccinated it’ll decrease stress, the chance of a lot of people getting it including high-risk individuals, deaths, and hospitalizations. Secondly, it'll decrease the chance of long COVID which leaves people with comorbidities like palpitations, blood pressure problems, chronic headaches, and more for weeks or months.”

Richie said even if you’ve had the two original vaccines and previous booster shot, she still recommends the newest booster since COVID continues to change in variants, similar to the influenza virus.

“We’re trying to keep up with the COVID virus and make little shifts in our vaccines because COVID continues to change and our immunizations change by the variants of the season,” she said.

The E G. 5 Omicron subvariant known as 'Eris' is dominating the current season, and another omicron subvariant could show up during the winter, she said.

“Eris presents like other Omicron variants so severe cold-like symptoms, some people think they have a bad sinus infection. Some people have fever, chills, cough, and shortness of breath but most of the time it's just a bad cold that will put you on the couch for a couple of days so If you have any of those symptoms, do a COVID test at home or with your provider.“

Masks continue to be recommended for people who are at high risk: individuals who are above 65 years old, have multiple comorbidities, or are immunocompromised, Richie said.

“If you're high risk, it would be wise to mask up if you're going to be in a crowd. If you have COVID symptoms mask get tested and to prevent other viruses from spreading," she said. "We now have a lot of tools to fight COVID and that's to test, vaccinate, and get an antiviral medication if positive. You can vaccinate, test, and treat now.“

The updated mRNA vaccines are each approved for individuals 12 years of age and older and are authorized under emergency use for individuals 6 months through 11 years of age, according to an FDA press release.

What's next?

On Tuesday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EDT, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices was expected to discuss these vaccines and how they should be used.

The committee could recommend that everyone of all ages receive the updated vaccine, or it could allow people of any age to get it, while recommending a shot just for people at high risk, for example.

The committee, which advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is scheduled to hear an update on vaccine safety and effectiveness, the economics of vaccination and the current understanding of long COVID, in which people suffer symptoms months after their initial COVID-19 infection resolves.

CDC Director Mandy Cohen will have to sign off on any recommendation from the committee.

Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech are expected to have vaccines ready to be delivered to pharmacies and health centers as soon as a recommendation is issued.

USA Today reporter Karen Weintraub contributed.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Health officials recommend new COVID vaccine to public, CDC okay next