Federal health authorities described new vaccinations combatting this year’s respiratory viral season as putting government prevention efforts at the strongest ever.
“We are in our strongest position yet to be able to fight COVID-19 as well as the other viruses that are responsible for the majority of fall and winter hospitalizations, namely flu, COVID as well as RSV,” a CDC official said Thursday in a call with reporters, according to a report from The Hill.
The officials cited an almost 97% immunity against COVID-19 among Americans at least 16-years-old, as the basis for their belief about the country being in its stronger position.
Immunity, however, is not a guarantee that individuals will not become infected by new variants of the coronavirus, health officials acknowledged, according to The Hill.
Updated COVID-19 shots from Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax are expected to be available beginning in mid-September, the CDC official said Thursday.
The new mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna will be fully licensed vaccines for individuals 12 years of age and older. They may be used for children younger than 12 under an emergency use authorization.
Due to what officials reportedly attributed to when license applications were submitted, Novavax’s protein-based vaccine will be available under an emergency use authorization, The Hill reported.
Officials described protection vaccines provide against the now-dominant EG.5 omicron subvariant as “robust,” cautioning it’s too early to judge their effectiveness against the recently detected BA.2.86 strain.
An FDA official claimed benefit-risk assessments of the updated shots demonstrated a “clear reduction in hospitalization and death,” The Hill reported.
The Hill report said health officials consider it likely seniors or immunocompromised people will need a second COVID-19 vaccine dose this time around a few months after the first.
This year also marks the first time vaccines against RSV will be available.
Two RSV vaccines have been approved for adults over the age of 60.
One preventive monoclonal antibody has been approved for infants and toddlers, and a vaccine administered to pregnant mothers so they can pass on immunity to their newborns has recently been approved by the FDA.
The RSV antibody Beyfortus has been added to the federal Vaccines for Children program, meaning it will be free for uninsured children, Medicaid patients, American Indian or Alaska Native patients, according to The Hill report.
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