US health officials said on Tuesday that Covid boosters are likely to be recommended annually just like influenza vaccines. The announcement has come after Food and Drug Administration authorised last week, authorised updated bivalent shots against both the original strain of the coronavirus and the BA.4 and BA.5 lineages of the Omicron variant.
“We likely are moving towards a path with a vaccination cadence similar to that of the annual influenza vaccine, with annual updated Covid-19 shots matched to the currently circulating strains,” President Joe Biden’s chief medical advisor Anthony Fauci told reporters.
The elderly and immunocompromised patients may require more shots in greater frequency.
Ashish Jha, the White House Covid coordinator, added the message was “simple” — if you are 12 or older, and have been previously vaccinated, now is the time to get boosted.
If you were recently infected or vaccinated, “it’s reasonable to wait a few months,” he added.
He said that people can get Covid booster at the same time they take flu boosters
“I really believe this is why God gave us two arms, one for the flu shot and the other one for the Covid shot.” he said.
Officials expect millions of people to receive their bivalent boosters
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