As we head into the cooler months we’re already seeing COVID cases and hospitalizations on the rise. On Tuesday a committee of advisers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended updated vaccines that will be rolling out later this week.
Those shots aim to target new COVID-19 variants like the BA.2.86 or the XBB.1.5 viruses.
Emergency physician Dr. Mario Ramirez is acting director at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Pandemics and Emerging Threats. He said we’re likely to see an increase in cases in the coming weeks.
“And so what I think we’re likely to see are a much greater number of relatively mild or asymptomatic cases, probably an increase in hospitalizations, but an overall lower fatality rate than we saw with earlier waves,” Ramirez said.
Tuesday afternoon, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended the updated vaccines for all Americans 6 months of age and older. This means that the committee’s recommendation will ensure that both private and public health insurance plans will continue to cover the vaccines with the hope of improving access and increasing equity.
And those without insurance will receive shots this season up until 2024 at no cost through the new Bridge Access Program created in partnership with the CDC and the Biden Administration.
