CDC Recommends New COVID-19 Vaccines for Everyone 6 Months and Older
An infectious disease expert breaks down what to know about the FDA-approved shots that target the circulating COVID-19 variants.
New COVID-19 vaccines that better target current circulating variants have been approved and authorized for use in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended at least one dose of the updated vaccines, made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, for anyone 6 months and older.
“The new vaccines will better protect people against new variants as the virus continues to evolve,” says Dr. Magdalena Sobieszczyk, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. “It is important to get vaccinated with either one of these new formulations to stay protected from COVID-19 and stay up to date with other vaccines, such for the flu and RSV.”
CDC’s 2023–24 COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
- Everyone age 5 years and older is recommended to get one dose of the 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccine to be up to date.
- Children age 6 months to 4 years and people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised need multiple doses, including at least one 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccine dose, to be up to date.
- People who are moderately to severely immunocompromised may get additional doses of the 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccine.
Moderna and Pfizer updated the vaccines to target the Omicron variant XBB.1.5., following guidance put out by the FDA in June. “XBB.1.5. began circulating more widely last winter and is genetically similar to EG.5., which is currently the dominant COVID-19 variant in the U.S.,” says Dr. Sobieszczyk, who is also a professor of infectious diseases in medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Dr. Magdalena Sobieszczyk
EG.5. — also referred to as Eris — has spread quickly on a global scale, including in the U.S. Eris descends from XBB.1.9.2, one of the lineages from the Omicron variant. Another variant, BA.2.86 (Pirola), is not yet as widespread but has gained attention due to its large number of mutations.
“Compared to the bivalent booster, last year’s formulation, the updated shots improve protection by creating an immune response in our bodies against new variants, such as Eris, among others,” says Dr. Sobieszczyk.
The bivalent booster will no longer be available in the U.S. since it targeted the BA.4 and BA.5 lineages of the Omicron variant and the original coronavirus strains, which are no longer circulating.
Similar to the yearly flu vaccine, the FDA is anticipating that they will need to meet on an annual basis to understand how COVID-19 is evolving, review data on circulating strains, and advise manufacturers on which strains should be selected for the vaccine each year.
“Updating the vaccine composition might be a continuous process given that COVID-19 is mutating a lot,” says Dr. Sobieszczyk. “Getting vaccinated with an updated shot will not only benefit the individual but also the community around them. While the vaccine does not eliminate the risk of getting COVID-19, it makes the virus mild, shortens the duration of infection, lowers the risk of transmitting it to others, and protects those who are more vulnerable from severe disease.”
Magdalena Sobieszczyk, M.D., is the chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center and is the Harold Neu professor of infectious diseases in medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Sobieszczyk is also a clinical virologist and the principal investigator of the Columbia Collaborative Clinical Trials Unit, funded by the National Institutes of Health, which has been advancing the science of infections like SARS-CoV-2 and HIV.