You may want to hold off on getting a COVID booster – at least for now. What to know
The number of hospitalizations from COVID-19 are on the rise as summer comes to a close, but health officials aren’t recommending another booster shot — at least not quite yet.
Projections show hospitalizations continuing to increase as cases spike in the fall, according to data on Aug. 21 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
By Sept. 18, the CDC is predicting as many as 7,500 hospitalizations per day.
Current CDC guidelines say those under the age of 65 with an initial COVID-19 vaccine and one booster should not pursue another booster at this time despite these trends, McClatchy News previously reported.
That is, until the next booster comes along.
Here’s what you need to know.
Updated boosters are likely coming soon
New COVID-19 booster shots are currently being considered by the Food and Drug Administration for safety approval, CDC director Mandy Cohen said in a video posted on the agency’s YouTube on Aug. 25.
Approval is expected by the middle of September, Cohen said.
New guidelines will then be discussed by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the advisory board that makes recommendations on vaccine protocols, during a Sept. 12 meeting.
Officials told CBS News the date was chosen in order to be “as close as possible” to the approval of the updated boosters.
Why it may be better to wait
The new shots broaden the reach of the vaccine to include defenses against Omicron subvariants like XBB.1.5 and EG.5 that are driving the spike in cases.
Getting one of the currently available boosters may leave you vulnerable to those strains.
Also, the CDC says booster shots should not be given within two months of one another, meaning if you were to get a booster at the end of August or beginning of September, you would not be eligible for the new booster for another two months while cases are at their highest.
Instead, it is better to wait to get the updated COVID-19 booster shots, whether from Moderna, Pfizer or Novavax, when they become available.
More to know
Cohen says the recommendation to wait doesn’t apply to those who have never been vaccinated.
“Those who have never been vaccinated and then some people who are older and higher risk for a COVID infection might be best to get the existing shot now and not wait,” Cohen said in the video. “Talk to your doctor or nurse practitioner.”
Cohen also confirmed that it is safe to get an annual flu shot and the updated COVID-19 booster at the same time.
To find a COVID-19 booster location near you, enter your zip code and recommended booster into the vaccines.gov website.
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