HEALTH
New COVID vaccine shots coming fall 2024: Who will get them and when will they be avaliable?
New vaccines for COVID-19 will be made available in the coming week. Who does the CDC recommend get an additional shot?
On Thursday, August 22, the Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA) approved the use of a new round of COVID-19 vaccines designed to protect the public from the variants that could take hold in the fall and winter. For those who got a flu shot each year before the pandemic, an additional poke is a no-brainer to avoid getting sick in the colder months. When making the announcement, the director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Dr. Peter Marks, emphasized the importance of the new vaccines becoming available, noting that “vaccination continues to be the cornerstone of COVID-19 prevention.”
COVID-19 cases are rising in the United States, a typical trend seen in late summer, as the disease spreads, facilitated by travelers, bringing new strains to new areas of the world. COVID-19-related emergency room visits are one way the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tracks spread, reporting that 2.4 percent of all ER visits were due to COVID-19. In mid-May, that figure was 0.3 percent. The severity of one’s infection tends to depend on various factors, with those that are unvaccinated, elderly, or having a co-morbidity at greatest risk. The expectation of scientists is that over time, the virus will become less lethal as our bodies become better at recognizing the threat. However, deaths from the virus are also increasing, representing around 1.9 percent of all deaths recorded in the country. Back in May, this rate was close to 0.3 percent.
Who should get vaccinated?
The CDC’s recommendation covers all people older than six months who do not have health consequences that would make them ineligible.
When will the new vaccines become available?
CVS informs those seeking the latest vaccine that they will issue appointments as they receive the updated formula. This could vary from location to location.
For those without insurance or whose insurance isn’t accepted at CVS, Walgreens, and other pharmacy chains, contact your county health department. These agencies often run vaccination clinics in the fall and winter and offer COVID-19 and flu shots at no or little cost.