The Food and Drug Administration has approved an updated version of the COVID-19 vaccine for the upcoming fall and winter season, the federal administration said Wednesday — but has limited access to them.
The new and improved vaccine by Pfizer-BioNTech will more closely match the strains circulating in the country, targeting a sub-lineage of the disease known as LP.8.1.
However, the new vaccine is only approved for use in adults aged 65 and older and for those between ages 5 and 64 with at least one underlying condition that puts them at high risk for severe COVID, like asthma or obesity.
Healthy children and young adults will have to consult with a health care provider to be able to receive the new vaccine, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said.
This marks a major shift away from previous guidance, which recommended annual shots for all Americans older than six months.
“These vaccines are available for all patients who choose them after consulting with their doctors,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter).
“The American people demanded science, safety, and common sense. This framework delivers all three.”
However, these new restrictions could create extra hurdles for people without underlying conditions under 65 years old, and impact health insurance coverage.
Next, an advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must vote to recommend the vaccines. Since taking office, Kennedy has unseated members on the committee and added new members of the panel who are vaccine skeptics.
This season’s Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine will begin shipping immediately and be available in pharmacies, hospitals, and clinics across the U.S. in the coming days, officials said.