The U.S. Food and Drug Administration FDA announced on Thursday that a new Covid-19 vaccine has been approved. Vermonters will soon be able to get the vaccine at primary care offices and pharmacies, according to the state Department of Health.
This new vaccine is designed to better protect against the current Covid-19 variants and reduce serious outcomes from the virus, the FDA stated.
As immunity in the general population weakens over time, previous vaccines and past exposure to Covid-19 are becoming less effective, said Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.
“Vaccination remains the key to preventing COVID-19,” Marks said. “These updated vaccines meet our high standards for safety, effectiveness, and quality.”
Covid-19 cases in Vermont have been rising this summer. So far this month, 17 people have died from the virus, the most since January’s 29 deaths, according to the Department of Health’s weekly report.
Wastewater facilities in Montpelier, South Burlington, and Essex Junction have also reported higher levels of Covid-19.
The new vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer are approved for people 12 and older. They are also authorized for emergency use in children aged 6 months to 11 years, according to the FDA.
Vermont health care providers will start ordering the vaccines within the next two weeks, said Sharon Muellers, a spokesperson for the health department.
“This year’s supply should meet the demand,” Muellers said.
Kinney Drugs, a pharmacy chain in New York and Vermont, expects to start offering the updated vaccine early next week. Other pharmacies are also authorized to vaccinate people aged 3 and older.
“As a pharmacist, I’m glad the FDA has approved this updated COVID-19 vaccine,” said John Marraffa, president of Kinney Drugs. “With cases rising in New York and Vermont, it’s good timing as students head back to school.”
Although the federal “Bridge Access Program,” which provided free Covid vaccines to uninsured people, ends this month, Muellers said the health department will support local vaccination efforts this fall.
Muellers also mentioned that this year’s flu vaccine protects against three strains of the flu. She recommended that adults aged 75 and older also get the RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) vaccine.
Like flu vaccines, the FDA expects to update the Covid-19 vaccine annually unless a significantly more infectious variant appears.