The new COVID-19 booster could be coming to your local pharmacy by the end of the week
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- The FDA authorized an updated COVID-19 booster tailored to protect against the Omicron variant.
- The CDC needs to approve the shots on Tuesday before they can be shipped across the country.
- The doses could make it to pharmacies as soon as the end of the week.
The Food and Drug Administration has okayed the newest COVID-19 booster shot — putting Americans one step closer to the most updated vaccine.
The agency said in a press release on Monday that the boosters from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech help protect against commonly circulating variants, including EG.5 and BA.2.86.
The quick-spreading strain EG.5, also known as Eris, has likely been the culprit behind recent summer COVID surges, though it doesn't appear to make people any sicker than previous strains, Insider previously reported.
But before the updated shot can make it into Americans' arms, the CDC's Advisory Committee needs to weigh in on who should receive the vaccine, the FDA said; that committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday.
When will the booster be available?
If the CDC gives the booster the go-ahead on Tuesday, millions of doses will be shipped within days and could be available at pharmacies and doctors' offices across the country as soon as the end of this week, The New York Times reported.
The FDA granted approval for people 12 and older to receive a single dose of the latest mRNA vaccine and authorized emergency use for kids 6 months to 11 years of age.
Kids aged 6 months to 4 years who have not yet received any vaccination can get three doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech booster or two doses of the Moderna booster, the agency said.
"Vaccination remains critical to public health and continued protection against serious consequences of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death," Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in the agency's press release.
"The public can be assured that these updated vaccines have met the agency's rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality," Marks added. "We very much encourage those who are eligible to consider getting vaccinated."