Hey everyone! So, big news from Washington: the FDA just approved new COVID-19 vaccines but with some serious limitations. These updates affect plenty of Americans, especially kids. Here’s what you need to know.
First off, the latest shots from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax are now on the table for older adults; all seniors can get them. However, younger adults and kids are facing tightened access due to the FDA’s new rules, which only allow those with specific high-risk health issues—like asthma or obesity—to qualify. This creates a whole new hurdle for countless Americans who might have thought they were good to go!
And here’s another twist: Pfizer’s vaccine is now off-limits for kids under 5 as the FDA pulled its emergency authorization for this age group. Parents will still have a shot (pun intended!) at getting vaccines from Moderna, which is FDA-approved for kids starting as young as 6 months, but only for those with serious health problems.
The revamped vaccines are targeting newer strains of the ever-changing virus and those shots will be shipped out right away. But don’t hold your breath on getting them just yet—many Americans might find themselves waiting for days or weeks to learn if they can actually snag a dose. Access to these new vaccines depends on decisions made by federal health advisers, insurance companies, pharmacies, and state authorities.
These new restrictions continue to shift from the previous U.S. approach, which recommended that everyone 6 months and older should get a COVID shot every year.
The reasoning for these updates reflects a growing doubt about the risks of COVID-19 and the necessity for annual boosters, stemming from perspectives by top health officials like Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA head Marty Makary, who have both shown skepticism about large-scale vaccination strategies.
On social media, Kennedy said, “The American people demanded science, safety, and common sense. This framework delivers all three.” Sounds like he’s stoking some confidence there!
Moving on, the Novavax shot is also part of this updated plan, but it’s available only for people 12 and older, following the same risk-based access rules as Pfizer and Moderna.
Some health organizations, like the American Academy of Pediatrics, have expressed concerns that this tight-fisted approach to vaccination could harm families wanting to keep their children safe. They’ve gone so far as to suggest that annual COVID shots are essential for kids between 6 months and 2 years old and should be recommended for older children as well.
This clashes with the recent directions given by Kennedy, who doesn’t support COVID vaccines for healthy kids of any age but says it’s totally fine for them to consider shots after conferring with a health care professional.
As for the vaccination landscape globally, many countries have pulled back on COVID-19 vaccines, and there’s a belief among some U.S. experts that a similar shift might make sense given that a large portion of Americans already have some protection from past vaccinations or infections.
However, executing this new plan will likely pose some serious logistical hurdles. Insurers usually base their vaccine coverage on what a panel of CDC advisors recommends, but there are some indications they might also consult other medical groups like the American Medical Association.
This past spring, Kennedy took a big step by renaming the CDC’s advisory panel, filling it with doctors and researchers who have voiced concerns regarding commonly used vaccines and vaccine components. The panel is gearing up to meet in September, but details on the agenda are still under wraps.
If you’re under 65 and want a vaccine, be prepared to potentially prove that you have a serious health condition before you can roll up your sleeve! Just an added note: getting the vaccine could get a little complicated, especially since many pharmacy staff liable for administering these vaccines may not have the authority to verify health conditions.
Access could still be tricky for those healthy adults and kids eager for a booster shot “just in case.” If they find their insurance doesn’t cover the new vaccines, these folks may have to fork over $150 or even more of their hard-earned cash. They might need to find a healthcare practitioner willing to administer shots off-label, which could require some extra queries!
The newly rolled-out vaccines from three manufacturers aim explicitly to tackle a recent variant known as LP.8.1, a strain that’s become the new dominant form of the virus.
The initial rollout of all three vaccines had been through the FDA’s emergency use authorization, which sped things up during the pandemic. Just so you know, Pfizer hasn’t sought full approval for its vaccine for kids under 5 yet, which is why Moderna’s the only player for the littlest ones at this point.
On top of revoking Pfizers emergency authorization for very young children, Kennedy has also made it clear that remaining approvals for other COVID vaccines and for the convalescent plasma treatment used back in COVID’s early days have been canceled.
Despite these hiccups, COVID vaccines have displayed effectiveness in preventing severe disease, hospitalization, and death, factors that pose greater risks particularly for seniors and other individuals with existing health conditions.
The CDC’s early data suggests that around 47,500 Americans succumbed to causes related to COVID last year. A report indicates that in at least two-thirds of those instances, COVID-19 was marked as a primary cause of death. With the remainder listing it as a contributing factor.
