Updated COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for virtually everyone in the United States, following a 13-1 vote among public health experts Tuesday. The new shots could be available by the end of this week, offering protection against severe respiratory illness going into fall and winter.
Watch the discussion in the video player above.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices recommended the use of a single-strain vaccine from Moderna and Pfizer as authorized under emergency use for the 2023-2024 season for people ages 6 months or older.
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"We're in the strongest position yet to fight COVID," said Mandy Cohen, director for the CDC as deliberations began. But she added, "This virus continues to keep us humble. It continues to change."
Looking at an uptick in COVID infections, experts Tuesday said that individuals could wait three months after infection before receiving an updated COVID vaccine, but that was not required. Unlike earlier in the pandemic, people can now get vaccinated as soon as they feel better.
In a major change from a year ago, the federal government no longer covers vaccine costs for everyone. The list prices for these updated COVID vaccines are $129 per dose from Moderna, $120 per dose from Pfizer and $130 per dose from Novavax, but ultimately would be lower for people with insurance.
With the committee's recommendation, CDC officials said insurers would be compelled under the Affordable Care Act to cover these updated COVID vaccines without patients having to shoulder costs. Once these vaccines become commercially available, the CDC will offer vaccines to uninsured and underinsured people through the Vaccines for Children Program and the Bridge Access Program.
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The booster decision comes at a time when federal data have suggested a recent rise in COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths. Since the last bivalent booster was authorized last September, 152.5 million doses have been distributed, according to the CDC's COVID Data Tracker.
When that booster was greenlighted, the CDC recommended it for everyone ages 6 months or older but strongly urged people in high-risk groups, including older adults and people with compromised immune systems, to get that added layer of protection against severe illness, hospitalization and death.