An Omicron-specific booster could be authorized by Labor Day. Here’s what we know
The newest version of the COVID-19 booster shot, said to be the most effective Omicron-tailored booster to date, will likely be approved for administration any day now, CNBC reported.
Pfizer and Moderna submitted a request for emergency authorization of the booster without yet completing human testing.
The booster’s authorization will follow a rise in COVID-19 cases linked to the Omicron variant and should arrive before a predicted fall and winter season resurgence, health officials say.
“Having rapidly scaled up production, we are positioned to immediately begin distribution of the bivalent Omicron BA.4/BA.5 boosters, if authorized, to help protect individuals and families as we prepare for potential fall and winter surges,” said Albert Bourla, chairman of Pfizer.
But who will be eligible for the shot and how safe and effective is it? Here’s what we know about the new booster so far.
When will the Omicron booster be available?
According to filings from Pfizer and the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, Dr. Ashish Jha, the new booster will likely become available in early September, pending approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control.
The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is set to meet on Sept. 1 and Sept. 2, a meeting where recommendations to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky on how to proceed could be made.
How effective is the new booster?
Although the original vaccines provide an adequate amount of protection against the original strain of COVID-19, health experts say that the new booster will make up for the fading preventative effectiveness of the vaccine.
In recent months, the CDC has learned that the BA.5 strain is highly transmissible and able to reinfect, regardless of how recently you’ve recovered from an infection caused by a different strain. This has prompted Pfizer and Moderna to request emergency authorization of the booster from the FDA.
According to the CDC, the new booster will provide upgraded protection against infection caused by the Omicron, BA.4/BA.5 strains, though it has yet to be tested in human trials.
Is it safe to receive the new booster if you’ve already been boosted?
Federal health experts say that anyone who has already received one or two booster shots this year is still eligible to receive the Omicron booster this fall, TIME reported.
Jha stated that the Omicron-tailored booster will give those who are already vaccinated and boosted a much-needed added layer of protection. The new shots are enhanced “in terms of their ability to prevent infection, to prevent transmission, certainly to prevent serious illness and death,” Jha said.
Who else will be eligible?
Although no Omicron boosters are being administered just yet, health officials are expecting eligibility for the vaccine to be broad.
According to Pfizer’s statement to the FDA on Monday, the company is asking for the booster to be approved for people aged 12 or older. Pfizer’s competitor, Moderna, made the same request early last week, according to a press release from the company.
This story was originally published August 30, 2022 at 2:28 PM.
