The new COVID shot is now available. Here's what you need to know

It’s that time of year again.

New COVID-19 shots are now available all over the country.

That comes after the Food and Drug Administration last week greenlighted the two updated vaccines, which are aimed at helping protect people from the latest strains of the virus.

The arrival of the new shots may come as a relief to those who’ve tried to dodge a summer surge in cases, fueled by the FLiRT variants.

Whether or not you decide to rush out and get the vaccine could depend on a few factors, including when you last had COVID-19 and your underlying risk of getting seriously ill.

Here’s what you need to know:

What exactly are these new shots?

The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines rely on the same mRNA technology as the earlier versions of the vaccine, but they now target the KP.2 variant – a member of the omicron family that rose to prominence over the summer.

As many of us know by now, the virus continues evolving to better evade our immune defense, which means regularly updating the vaccines to keep up with the latest strain.

It turns out the KP.2 variant has already been overtaken by newer variants. Because those are also descendants of omicron, the hope is that the new vaccines are close enough matches that they can still boost immunity and protect people in the coming months – ideally reducing the chances of a big winter wave.

“The vaccine is not intended to be perfect. It’s not going to absolutely prevent COVID-19," Dr. Peter Marks from the FDA told NPR in an interview.

"But if we can prevent people from getting serious cases that end up in emergency rooms, hospitals or worse — dead — that’s what we’re trying to do with these vaccines.”

The new vaccines should cut the risk of having COVID-19 by 60% to 70% and reduce the risk of getting seriously ill by 80% to 90%, Marks says.

A third vaccine is also expected to get the FDA’s stamp of approval soon.

That one, made by Novavax, is based on older technology (not mRNA), and targets an earlier strain of the virus, called JN.1.

Who should get them?

The FDA gave the OK for anyone ages 6 months and older to get one of the new shots. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending the vaccines for those age groups.

“In my opinion, everyone should get one of the new vaccines,” says Dr. George Diaz, chief of medicine at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett and a spokesperson for the Infectious Disease Society of America.

That said, it’s most important for those at high risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19, namely those over the age of 65 or who have other underlying health problems like a weakened immune system.

Studies suggest getting vaccinated can also reduce the risk of long COVID, Diaz adds.

While anyone can get a shot, Dr. Paul Offit says not everyone necessarily needs another one.

“Anyone who wants to get this vaccine should get it,” says Offit, a vaccine expert at the University of Pennsylvania and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia who advises the FDA.

The vaccine does lessen your chance of getting a mild or moderate infection for about four to six months and to “some extent lessens your chances of spreading the virus,” he says.

But the calculation could be different for younger people who may have enough immunity from previous COVID shots and infections that they’re already protected from getting very sick.

“Were I a 35-year-old healthy adult who’d already had several doses of vaccine and one or two natural infections, I wouldn’t feel compelled to get it,” he says.

And regardless of the public health advice, it’s far from clear how many people will want one of the new shots. Only about 22% of eligible adults got one of the last ones.

Should I get the shot now? Or wait?

That’s a personal judgment call.

Marks suggests most people get vaccinated sooner rather than later because there’s an ongoing surge in COVID cases and the current vaccine is a “reasonably close match” to the current strain that’s circulating.

“Right now we’re in a wave, so you’d like to get protection against what’s going on right now,” Marks says. “You’re probably going to get the most benefit.”

However, it would be wise to hold off if you had COVID-19 over the summer.

People should wait at least two or three months since their last bout, or their last shot, in order to maximize the chances of getting the best protection from this new vaccine, says Marks.

Some people may want to get vaccinated later in September or October if they are primarily concerned about fending off COVID during a potential winter surge and staying healthy over the holiday season.

“This [protection] is not like something that suddenly cuts off at three or four months,” says Marks, “It’s just that the immunity will decrease with time.”

Where can I find the shots? Do I have to pay?

All the major pharmacy chains, including CVS, Rite Aid and Walmart, say the shots should be available at all their stores this week.

Insured people can get vaccinated for free if they get their shot from an in-network provider. But it won’t necessarily be free for those without health coverage.

A federal program that paid for the vaccines for uninsured adults expired. The uninsured may be able to still get the shots for free at some places, such as federally-funded health clinics.

“In the public health community we’re very concerned about how they will access protection,” says Dr. Kelly Moore, who runs Immunize.org, an advocacy group.

“We know that the people who are uninsured are the least likely to be able to afford becoming ill – missing work, staying home from school.”

Can I double up and get the COVID and flu shots at the same time?

Yes, health officials say it’s perfectly safe to get both shots at the same time. In fact, officials are recommending that, especially if that makes it more likely that people will get vaccinated because it’s more convenient.

What about kids? Can they get the same shots?

Yes, children can get the same vaccines that adults receive. But kids may need more than one dose, depending on their age and whether they’ve been vaccinated before.

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