Updated Omicron Boosters Are Here: What to Know About COVID Vaccines This Fall

New COVID-19 boosters that target the omicron variant are here, now that the US Centers for Disease Control and the US Food and Drug Administration have signed off on Pfizer-BioNTech’s and Moderna’s updated formulas.

The FDA asked vaccine makers earlier this summer to create new vaccine formulas that target the older strain of COVID-19 as well as the strain found in the BA.4/BA.5 subvariant of omicron (a two-component dose called a bivalent vaccine). The sense of urgency rolls ahead of an anticipated fall and winter wave of COVID-19 cases, when most of us will be spending more time indoors.

Shots are in the process of being distributed, and should be available at pharmacies throughout the US in the coming days. But questions remain: Who needs one and when should they get one? As with earlier boosters, guidance isn’t exactly one-size-fits-all. 

Here’s what we know about the updated boosters.

Read more: Best Home COVID Tests 

What are the new omicron boosters? Were they tested?

The FDA authorized Pfizer and BioNTech’s and Moderna’s bivalent (two-component) vaccine boosters. Both formulas include the BA.4/BA.5 spike protein combined with an older strain. Pfizer’s is for people age 12 and older, and Moderna’s is for adults 18 and up.

When they were authorized by the FDA, the agency made its decision on clinical trials on a slightly different bivalent booster that targets the BA.1 version of omicron instead of BA.4/BA/5, in addition to mice studies on the BA.4/BA.5 formula. While this has been unprecedented in the COVID-19 vaccine campaign so far, health officials say it’s not too far off from the way we approach influenza vaccines. Every year, the flu vaccine is tweaked with a strain they believe to be the best target. The new COVID-19 boosters also do not introduce any new vaccine ingredients.

“Bivalent and multivalent vaccines are very common and modifying a vaccine to include different virus strains often does not require a change in other ingredients,” FDA Commissioner Rober M. Califf said in a tweet last week. “FDA has extensive experience with reviewing strain changes in vaccines, as is done with the annual flu vaccine.” 

When should I get the new booster? 

The updated Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech boosters are authorized by the FDA for people who’ve gone at least two months since their last vaccine dose, whether it be a booster shot or a primary series. It doesn’t matter which vaccine you originally received, and it shouldn’t matter which brand you choose now. Moderna’s booster, like its previous vaccine, is a slightly larger dose (50 micrograms) than Pfizer’s (30 micrograms).

At the CDC panel meeting, a few committee members expressed concern that some people would be better off waiting longer than two months between their last shot and this new booster, especially people who’ve recently had COVID-19 and still have relatively high immunity. (In its general vaccine guidance, the CDC says that people can wait three months before getting the shot if they’re getting over COVID-19.) While myocarditis is rare overall, younger men and teenage boys appear to be at higher risk post-vaccination, and waiting longer between vaccine doses appears to reduce this risk. 

From an immune response perspective, some infectious disease doctors have suggested waiting four to six months between your last COVID-19 infection or vaccine to get the most out of the new booster.

But most people who are eligible for a booster are well past the two-month period from their last vaccine anyways, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told NPR.

“What we’ve seen is that almost everybody who is eligible for a boost is far more beyond two months from their last shot,” Walensky said. “Certainly, we wouldn’t want somebody to get a boost too soon.”

If you’ve recently had COVID-19 or have other questions about the booster, you can reach out to your doctor for more information and guidance specific to your health.

Where can I get a new vaccine? 

Pharmacies throughout the US should be receiving doses of the new booster right now, and they’ll continue to roll out in the coming days. You should be able to use the vaccine-finder site vaccines.gov.

What are the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants? 

Both BA.4 and BA.5 are considered part of the “original” omicron variant (BA.1) family. They’re newer versions of the virus that causes COVID-19. BA.5 quickly overtook the conversation and is now the dominant variant in the US.

While we’re still living out the true effects of a BA.5 summer surge in the US, the new subvariant is thought to whittle away much of the infection protection people got from prior sickness, even with other omicron variants. 

Omicron caused such a huge number of cases last winter because it was the most contagious variant to date, evading some infection protection from prior illness and effectiveness of the vaccines. The fact that newer versions of omicron are proving to be even more contagious isn’t a big surprise, as this is the path COVID-19 has taken over the last two and half years.

Read more about everything we know about BA.5. 

What about Novavax and J&J?

Novavax, which just received the CDC’s recommendation for its primary two-dose vaccine, said earlier this summer that it’s speeding up work on a formula specifically targeting the new versions of omicron, but it isn’t on the table yet for this fall and winter vaccine campaign.

Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine, though still available in the US, has been recommended only for people who can’t take, or don’t want to take, another COVID-19 vaccine, because of the risk of a very rare but dangerous side effect. J&J didn’t respond to an earlier request for comment on the company’s plans for the fall in the US.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.