According to sources, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) planned to approve new versions of the Covid booster soon.
The most recent shots are aimed at the XBB.1.5 omicron subvariant. Despite the fact that that strain is no longer dominant, the boosters should still protect against the current circulating subvariants, which are closely related, according to drugmakers and specialists.
The deadline for authorization is not set in stone, and it could slip into early next week, according to two sources. This may elicit additional criticism from some clinicians who believe federal health organizations are moving too slowly in the booster deployment as Covid cases and hospitalizations rise once more.
According to sources, the FDA is considering issuing the boosters a complete approval license rather than an emergency use authorisation, a change from the process utilized for prior Covid vaccination authorizations. However, it is unclear whether or not it is still the anticipated course of action.
Following FDA approval, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its advisory group will make their own recommendations on who should receive the doses and how they should be administered. The agency's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is due to vote on Tuesday. Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, could sign off on the boosters soon after the meeting, allowing immunizations to begin.
According to government data, around 97% of adults have some level of protective immunity. However, because immunity from past infections and immunizations fades over time, experts want to boost protection as individuals spend more time indoors throughout the fall and winter months.
However, for the first time since Covid vaccinations were made available, the federal government will not cover the cost of the shots. The vaccines will cost between $110 and $130 each dosage, according to Pfizer and Moderna. According to experts most persons with private or public health insurance should continue to pay nothing out of pocket for vaccines. However, if a person receives the vaccine outside of the network, there may be a cost.
Some persons without insurance may be able to acquire free Covid boosters through safety net providers like community health centers, while others may have to pay the entire cost. The Biden administration has also established a "bridge" program that will provide free boosters to uninsured people until at least the end of 2024.
