A new coronavirus shot that protects against the latest variant is now available at many chain pharmacies and should be widely available statewide by the end of the week, according to state health officer Dr. Joseph Kanter.
Marking yet another phase in the evolving battle with coronavirus, the timing of the updated shots from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech is aligned with flu shot season. Health officials hope a simplified regimen that includes getting all respiratory virus vaccines once per year might increase uptake.
“I’m cautiously optimistic,” said Kanter. “The timing of it with the annual flu vaccine makes it easier, more convenient.”
Most Louisiana residents opted not to take the previous booster, a bivalent shot that protected against the original version of the virus and the omicron variant. Just 7.7% of the population in Louisiana was inoculated with the bivalent booster. The average uptake in the U.S. was 17%.
An updated shot
The new shots target the XBB.1.5 subvariant, which was the dominant variant earlier this year and another descendent of the omicron variant. While it’s no longer the most prominent variant, the other circulating strains are closely related to it, and data show that the vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer still offer good protection.
“It looks like the antibody generated from this particular vaccine does produce enough neutralizing antibody to be significant for the current strain,” said Dr. Julio Figueroa, chief of infectious diseases at LSU Health New Orleans.
The burden of disease in hospitals is low compared to previous waves, and outcomes are much milder than in early pandemic days. Louisiana is currently in its eighth COVID surge, but there are some signs the state is in the process of peaking, Kanter said.
There were 210 people hospitalized with COVID at the end of last week, a dip from this surge’s high of 310 the previous week. Though that's much less than the peak of over 3,000 during the delta surge in 2021, the virus is still disruptive for many and dangerous for some.
“Regardless, there is a ton of COVID out there right now,” said Kanter. “People who are vulnerable remain vulnerable.”
Who should get it
The vulnerable include those over 65 and people with certain health conditions, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and those who are pregnant, smoke or have other immune issues. The new vaccines are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for everyone 6 months of age and older, but the number of doses depends on age. Specifically, they recommend the following:
- Adults and children age 5 and older who are at least two months from their last booster can receive a single dose of this season’s updated COVID-19 vaccine from either Moderna or Pfizer. (Another vaccine from Novavax is currently under Food and Drug Administration review.)
- Young children ages 6 months to 4 years who were previously vaccinated can receive one or two doses of the updated Moderna or Pfizer vaccine depending on the timing of their previous doses and which dose they received.
- Unvaccinated babies and young children ages 6 months to 4 years can receive two doses of the updated Moderna vaccine or three doses of the updated Pfizer vaccine.
People who are immunocompromised with certain health conditions may receive additional doses.
A previous infection typically offers some protection for around six months, said Figueroa, and recently infected people may want to wait to get the updated vaccine. Otherwise, Figueroa agreed with the CDC’s general recommendation for the updated shot.
“The more vaccine penetration there is in the population, the better we’re going to be,” said Figueroa.
Where to find it
The new version of the vaccine can be found using the search tool on the vaccines.gov website, which can be filtered by age and preferred vaccine. Pharmacy chains CVS and Walgreens had the vaccine in stock in Louisiana on Wednesday.
The cost of the vaccine is no longer covered by the federal government, but most insurance companies should cover the cost. Those who are uninsured can get a free shot through the federal government’s Bridge Access Program through Dec. 2024.
The pharmacy at Children’s Hospital expects to have the vaccine by the end of the week, said Dr. Mark Kline, the physician in chief. He recommends that parents check with their pediatrician to see if they can get it at their doctor’s office or a clinic. Louisiana law has restrictions for pharmacies vaccinating children under the age of 3. Whether a pediatrician stocks it is often based on whether parents want it.
“They're responsive to demand,” said Kline. "If a lot of parents are calling, they’re more likely to keep it stocked.”