Updated covid-19 vaccines: Who should get a new shot and when, according to the CDC?

The national covid health emergency may be over but the virus that caused it is still a danger and finding new ways of infecting people. For that reason the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending that “everyone 6 months and older get an updated covid-19 vaccine to protect against the potentially serious outcomes of covid-19 illness this fall and winter.”

“We have more tools than ever to prevent the worst outcomes from covid-19,” said Director Mandy Cohen. The US health agency is advising those who haven’t receive a covid-19 vaccine in the past two months, to get a recently authorized updated vaccine to protect themselves and their loved ones.

Currently, those from Pfizer and Moderna, both mRNA vaccines, will be available to the public this week. A third from Novavax, a more traditional protein-based vaccine, is still under FDA review. All three updated vaccines have shown in clinical studies presented by their manufacturers that they significantly boosted antibodies against the strains that are dominant at the moment.

Updated Covid-19 vaccines: Who should get a new shot and when, according to the CDC?

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which consists of a panel of experts that advises the CDC, recommends that everyone five and older get at least one dose of an updated 2023-2024 mRNA covid-19 vaccine this year. Children four and younger that have never been vaccinated may need multiple shots as well as those with weak immune systems.

This will be the first year that vaccines will be available for the three biggest respiratory threats, including covid, the flu and RSV. The elderly remain the most at risk group for severe complications from these diseases.

Vaccination remains the best protection against hospitalization and death. Likewise the CDC points out that getting your covid-19 shot can reduce your chance of suffering the effects of ‘long covid’.

Where can you get a covid-19 vaccine?

This year the cost of the covid-19 vaccine will not be covered by the federal government. However, most insurance plans, whether public or private, will cover the over $100 list price.

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Those who are uninsured or under-insured will have access to free shots through the CDC’s Bridge Access Program through 2024. Eligible children can get free vaccines through the government’s Vaccines for Children program at providers enrolled in the program.

Patients can find a covid-19 vaccine or flu vaccine by visiting www.vaccines.gov.