HEALTH
When is the new COVID vaccine available in the US? Who is it for and what does it target?
New vaccine has been approved in the United States and is soon to be available to those who require it.
The global devastation that COVID-19 brought in 2020 and 2021 was finally calmed with the introduction of a speedily developed vaccine. Slowly the world returned to some level of normality but always with one eye looking over the shoulder for any potential new strains. Medical experts remained vigilant and new versions of the vaccine were developed, just as with those for influenza, to align with new strains. Which brings us to today.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just approved an updated version of Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine. So, if you’ve been waiting for your next shot, good news – doses could be available by the end of next week.
Who can get the new COVID vaccine?
This new vaccine is approved for anyone aged 12 and older.
What does this vaccine target?
Let’s dive into what this vaccine is aiming at. The Novavax shot has been updated to target the JN.1 strain of COVID-19. While JN.1 was all the rage earlier this year, it’s since been overtaken by newer variants. Still, it’s not completely gone, making up a small percentage of cases as of late August.
But Novavax didn’t stop there. The updated vaccine also offers protection against other variants: KP.2.3, KP.3, KP.3.1.1, and LB.1. Of these, KP.3.1.1 is currently the dominant strain in the US, so it’s reassuring to know this vaccine has it covered.
Unlike the more widely known mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, Novavax offers a protein-based shot.
Will people actually get this vaccine?
Even though COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths have been creeping up in the US recently, demand for vaccines has, maybe understandably, plummeted since the height of the pandemic. Novavax is optimistic, though, predicting that demand this year will be similar to last year’s, or possibly that there will be a better uptake this time around.