On Thursday, September 1, updated COVID-19 vaccine boosters in the United States were approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), so health authorities have called for updated vaccine boosters across the country.
A year and a half after their appearance, the Moderna and Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines have been updated and approved by the CDC after authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Although they have contributed to the decrease in COVID-19 mortality rates worldwide, it has become necessary to expand protection against the new omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants.
“The updated COVID-19 boosters are formulated to better protect against the most recently circulating COVID-19 variant. They can help restore protection that has waned since previous vaccination and are designed to provide broader protection against new variants. This recommendation is the result of a thorough scientific evaluation and intense scientific debate,” said CDC Director Rochelle Walensky.
The vaccine has been a great help during the pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, reducing not only the number of deaths worldwide but also complications from the disease.
"I think it's important to have at least one annual booster shot that contains the most up-to-date protection," said Gil Chavez, deputy director of the Center for Infectious Diseases at the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), at a press conference organized by Ethnic Media Services and the Vaccinate All 58 campaign.
At the same time, he made a comparison with the influenza vaccines that are applied to the population, since these include the strains that circulate over time and considered that "with COVID-19 we are moving in the same direction."
Likewise, Oliver Brooks, chief physician at Watts Healthcare Corporation in Los Angeles, stressed that “the job of vaccines is to reduce hospitalization and the risk of death,” and pointed out that those who have all the COVID-19 vaccines are less likely to have the disease in the long term.
He also stressed that worldwide, vaccination against the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has prevented between 13 and 16 million deaths. "Vaccines are a biotechnological miracle," Brooks said, acknowledging that the vaccination is safe and effective.
Eva Smith, director of K'ima Medical Center, noted the importance of communities receiving the vaccine. Even though many of the myths surrounding the vaccine have been debunked by the CDC and CDPH, they still influence people's decisions.
Smith, on the other hand, said that people are struggling with vaccine fatigue and the negative response to post-vaccine symptoms, but "that's better than being very sick with COVID-19," he said.
“This booster shot is timely because there is predicted to be another surge in COVID-19 cases and we need to be ready,” said Maggie Park, a pediatrician and public health officer for San Joaquin County.
He also noted that these updated vaccines were developed to protect against Omicron BA.5 and its subvariants, as these have been the ones that have been circulating since June, causing at least 87 percent of COVID-19 cases.
California has already received 600 thousand doses of COVID-19 vaccines
In California, 72 percent of the population has received the primary series of COVID-19 vaccinations, but only 58.8 percent of those eligible for a booster shot have received them, Park said, stressing the importance of those who are eligible for a booster shot getting it.
Meanwhile, California pharmacies, clinics and other health care providers are stocked with up-to-date doses of COVID-19 vaccines, as the state has received 600,000 doses and is expecting 400,000 more.
“Our hope is to continue on the path of having few cases and preventing COVID-19 cases during the winter,” Chavez said.
He also noted that the vaccines are free of charge and that anyone over the age of 12 who has already had at least one series of vaccines can receive the booster shot.
Finally, he recommended that the population be alert to symptoms related to the disease such as cough, runny nose, sore throat and sneezing and if they have them, to stay at home. He also pointed out the importance of continuing to use masks, despite it not being mandatory.
The updated COVID-19 booster shot can be obtained by anyone over 12 years of age who has received the initial vaccination schedule, that is, the first two doses; however, it is necessary that at least two months have passed since the last dose.
People under 12 will still be able to get the original boosters to protect against COVID-19, but updated vaccines are expected to be available to this age group in the coming weeks.
Those interested in obtaining more information about the vaccine can visit the website https://covid19.ca.gov/es/vaccines/.
You may be interested in: San Mateo County to resume COVID-19 vaccination clinics in mid-September
