CDC Panel Votes For Broad Rollout Of New COVID-19 Boosters

NEW YORK — New COVID-19 boosters, which are aimed to work against a potentially concerning new virus strain, could be available as soon as Wednesday, with a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel voting for the boosters Tuesday — and advocating for a broad rollout for anyone six months and older.

The new COVID-19 booster vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer BioNTech received approval from the Food & Drug Administration Monday.

According to Reuters, on Tuesday, the CDC advisory panel on Tuesday voted for broad use of the updated COVID-19 vaccines approved by the government, for ages 6 months an up, rather than just for populations at high risk.

The next step is a formal decision by the CDC director, NPR said, with the new shots possibly available as soon as Wednesday. The panel voted 13 to 1 in favor, NPR added.

COVID-19 hospitalizations nationwide increased almost 16 percent in the week ending Aug. 26, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Deaths were up by almost 18 percent.

During the same period in New York, there were 5.7 new hospitalizations per 100,000, with 1,108 reported in the past week, an increase of 4.6 percent, according to CDC data.

The XBB.1.5 strain is no longer dominant, but the new booster should protect against other subvarients that are currently circulating, according to NBC News, the first to report on the expected action by the Food and Drug Administration. Moderna and Pfizer have both indicated their boosters appear to provide protection against the BA.2.86 omicron subvariant, which hasn’t yet become dominant.

For the first time, the government won’t pay for the booster, as it has for others since vaccines became available in 2021. Modern and Pfizer have said they plan to offer the shots for about $110 to $130.

The CDC has recommended that everyone get an updated vaccine in addition to their 2021 shots, and that people age 65 and older get a second booster.

About 97 percent of Americans have some level of vaccine protection, though health experts warn immunity fades over time. According to the New York State Department of Health, in New York, 77 percent of people have had their primary series, with 85.9 percent of those ages 18 and over. However, the percentage of those up to date on all boosters in New York State stands at 15.5 percent, with 17.7 percent of those ages 18 and over.

The trend toward more hospitalizations and deaths began this summer and is expected to continue into the fall and winter months as people spend more time indoors.

While the CDC made recommendations for the broad rollout, Dr. Aaron Glatt, chair of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau, told Patch last month that it would be most beneficial for people 65 and older.

The new round of boosters marks the first since the public health emergency ended in May.

With reporting by Jerry Barmash.