The next round of COVID-19 vaccines is almost here. OHA report – This week the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cleared the way for new, updated COVID-19 vaccines to be available to the public. The mRNA vaccines, manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna, are monovalent vaccines designed to target the Omicron subvariants currently circulating. Here’s what you need to know: People ages 6 months or older who have previously received any number or variety of COVID-19 vaccines should get a single dose of either brand of vaccine at least two months after receiving their most recent dose of any previous COVID-19 vaccine. For people who have never received a COVID-19 vaccine, the CDC recommends: Ages 6 months through 4 years – receive two doses of the Moderna vaccine or three doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Ages 5 and older – receive a single dose of either brand of vaccine. Additional doses beyond these recommendations may be administered at the discretion of the health care provider, based on the individual’s personal health situation. Bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are no longer available in the United States. The original non-mRNA Novavax COVID-19 vaccine is still available for people ages 12 and older, though it is not preferred, because it does not contain spike protein from Omicron variants. Novavax is developing an updated COVID-19 vaccine, which is still under federal review. The new COVID-19 vaccines could be available on the commercial market at health care providers and pharmacies as early as next week, and they will be free under most insurance plans, including Oregon Health Plan. The CDC has not announced a timeline for when the new vaccines will arrive in state-sponsored vaccine programs, such as Oregon’s Vaccine Access Program (VAP), which provides free vaccines for eligible children and adults. Read our full press release for more on the new COVID-19 vaccines, including insurance and cost details, as well as information on new RSV protection for babies, toddlers and older adults.
