Post by Nadica (She/Her) on Aug 30, 2024 3:09:25 GMT
COVID-19 cases on the rise: What to know about vaccines the FDA approved, latest CDC data - Published Aug 29, 2024
After the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the emergency use of the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines many questions are beginning to circulate.
In the FDA's press release on Aug. 22, the federal agency said that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have been updated with a, “formula to more closely target currently circulating variants and provide better protection against serious consequences of COVID-19.”
In the release Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said that updated vaccines met the “rigorous, scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality.”
“The updated mRNA vaccines are manufactured using a similar process as previous formulas of these vaccines,” Amanda Hils, an FDA spokesperson told USA TODAY. “The benefits and risks of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are well understood as these vaccines have been administered to hundreds of millions of people in the U.S. and continue to outweigh their risks.”
Here is what you need to know about the updated COVID-19 vaccines.
Who should get the updated 2024-2025 vaccine?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) spokesperson Rosa Norman told USA TODAY that the government agency recommends that “everyone ages 6 months and older receive an updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the potentially serious outcomes of COVID-19” for this fall and winter season.
The rollout has already begun across the US, and according to CBS News, some in the Bay Area of California have already received the new shot.
The FDA suggests that everyone who is considering getting a vaccine should consult with their healthcare provider first.
“Individuals are encouraged to consider getting an updated COVID-19 vaccine as soon as they are eligible,” Hils said. “It is important to note that the timing and number of doses needed depends on the vaccination status of an individual and if previously vaccinated, the previous COVID-19 vaccine received. Please speak with your health care provider to determine when you should receive your updated COVID-19 vaccine.”
“We recommend that patients ask questions and speak with their health care provider before getting the vaccine, as well as contacting them with any concerns after receiving it,” Hils said. “Adverse events or side effects can be reported to the FDA through the agency’s MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.”
COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness
Norman explained that COVID-19 is a virus that continues to change and the protection against the virus, the latest vaccines, will decline over time.
As new COVID-19 strains emerge, vaccines can be updated to protect against currently circulating variants, will help with the symptoms of long COVID and a serious illness, Norman said.
The CDC uses data from last year to show the importance of vaccinations.
“People with COVID-19 have a wide range of symptoms ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. In 2023, more than 916,300 people were hospitalized due to COVID-19 and more than 75,500 people died from COVID-19,” Norman said. ‘Data continue to show the importance of vaccination to protect against severe outcomes of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death.”
Will this vaccine be effective against variants?
According to the FDA press release, the updated COVID-19 vaccines include “a monovalent (single) component that corresponds to the Omicron variant KP.2 strain of SARS-CoV-2.”
In a statement emailed to USA TODAY, Norman states that the "CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are working together to make sure COVID-19 vaccines continue to match currently circulating variants."
After the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the emergency use of the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines many questions are beginning to circulate.
In the FDA's press release on Aug. 22, the federal agency said that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have been updated with a, “formula to more closely target currently circulating variants and provide better protection against serious consequences of COVID-19.”
In the release Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said that updated vaccines met the “rigorous, scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality.”
“The updated mRNA vaccines are manufactured using a similar process as previous formulas of these vaccines,” Amanda Hils, an FDA spokesperson told USA TODAY. “The benefits and risks of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are well understood as these vaccines have been administered to hundreds of millions of people in the U.S. and continue to outweigh their risks.”
Here is what you need to know about the updated COVID-19 vaccines.
Who should get the updated 2024-2025 vaccine?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) spokesperson Rosa Norman told USA TODAY that the government agency recommends that “everyone ages 6 months and older receive an updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the potentially serious outcomes of COVID-19” for this fall and winter season.
The rollout has already begun across the US, and according to CBS News, some in the Bay Area of California have already received the new shot.
The FDA suggests that everyone who is considering getting a vaccine should consult with their healthcare provider first.
“Individuals are encouraged to consider getting an updated COVID-19 vaccine as soon as they are eligible,” Hils said. “It is important to note that the timing and number of doses needed depends on the vaccination status of an individual and if previously vaccinated, the previous COVID-19 vaccine received. Please speak with your health care provider to determine when you should receive your updated COVID-19 vaccine.”
“We recommend that patients ask questions and speak with their health care provider before getting the vaccine, as well as contacting them with any concerns after receiving it,” Hils said. “Adverse events or side effects can be reported to the FDA through the agency’s MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.”
COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness
Norman explained that COVID-19 is a virus that continues to change and the protection against the virus, the latest vaccines, will decline over time.
As new COVID-19 strains emerge, vaccines can be updated to protect against currently circulating variants, will help with the symptoms of long COVID and a serious illness, Norman said.
The CDC uses data from last year to show the importance of vaccinations.
“People with COVID-19 have a wide range of symptoms ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. In 2023, more than 916,300 people were hospitalized due to COVID-19 and more than 75,500 people died from COVID-19,” Norman said. ‘Data continue to show the importance of vaccination to protect against severe outcomes of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death.”
Will this vaccine be effective against variants?
According to the FDA press release, the updated COVID-19 vaccines include “a monovalent (single) component that corresponds to the Omicron variant KP.2 strain of SARS-CoV-2.”
In a statement emailed to USA TODAY, Norman states that the "CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are working together to make sure COVID-19 vaccines continue to match currently circulating variants."