New Covid vaccine is available

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new Covid-19 vaccine on Thursday, and Americans should be able to get the new vaccine in the coming days.

When vaccines come out One of the worst outbreaks Infection rates have remained high over the past two years, and while dangerous consequences such as hospitalizations and deaths are nowhere near as high as they were at the height of the pandemic, they still pose a risk, especially for older people and those with other risk factors such as asthma or obesity.

This updated vaccine does not target The currently dominant KP.3.1.1 strain, Instead, they focused on the variant’s immediate predecessors, including a strain called KP.2, which was more common when work on the new formulation began; the long development time makes it difficult for drugmakers to adjust for each new variant.

“Evolution doesn’t stop and let us catch up,” Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told Vox. “Evolution is always going on, and where the virus is going is somewhat unpredictable.”

still, Scientists believe The new drug will provide at least some protection for the public against severe disease, including the latest variants. And because it targets a close relative of the current dominant variant, it may offer some protection against infection.

So far, two new vaccines have been approved: one from Pfizer/BioNTech and one from Moderna. The latest from Novavax is still awaiting approval.

dose Receive within a week In the doctor’s office, and Telemedicine and Walgreens Pharmacies across the country; Walgreens will begin offering appointments on September 6. However, the government is no longer purchasing and distributing the vaccine, so it is no longer free. Insurance companies Should cover most, if not all, of the cost of vaccinations,as well as Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services An overview of the costs that those who pay out of pocket may have to pay is provided.

this CDC Recommendations Require all children 6 months and older to receive one dose of the new vaccine, regardless of their previous vaccination status, and emphasize High-risk groups should receive the latest vaccines in a timely mannerOther countries, such as Canada and the United Kingdom, have recommended that only people who are at higher risk of hospitalization, severe illness or death from the virus get vaccinated.

Adalja said high-risk groups should heed the CDC’s advice: “I’ve always wanted to make sure that high-risk groups really understand that these vaccines are going to disproportionately benefit them,” he told Vox.

The more risk factors you have — such as advanced age, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, a compromised immune system, pregnancy, asthma, and never having been vaccinated or had COVID — the more important it is to get both doses. “All of these types of people should obviously get this vaccine as soon as possible,” Adalja said.

While high-risk groups should be given priority for the new vaccine, it doesn’t mean healthy people without any risk factors won’t benefit from getting vaccinated; if you want to avoid infection, the new vaccine may be better at preventing transmission than previous vaccines. However, even with the new vaccine, it’s a good idea to take other precautions, such as wearing a mask in public.

Covid-19 is now endemic, becoming part of our daily lives just like flu and cold viruses. It is constantly evolving to evade the body’s defences, so new vaccine formulations are needed. This means more new vaccine formulations are in the works, and once approved, vaccination will remain the best way to protect yourself from the worst outcomes.

Update: August 23, 4 p.m. ET: This article was originally published on August 23 and has been updated to clarify the CDC’s current recommendations about who should get the new vaccine.