Austinites can now book appointments for updated COVID-19 vaccines at a number of pharmacy locations.
The updated 2024-2025 formulas from manufacturers Moderna and Pfizer received authorizations from the Food and Drug Administration last Thursday. People aged 6 months and up can receive the vaccine.
Local pharmacies are beginning to open appointments for the new vaccines as stock comes in. CVS, for instance, has appointments available this week. Walgreens announced that appointments would be available nationwide starting Sept. 6, with scheduling already open.
“Given waning immunity of the population from previous exposure to the virus and from prior vaccination, we strongly encourage those who are eligible to consider receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine to provide better protection against currently circulating variants,” said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, in a statement.
However, some folks may find it difficult to access the newly approved vaccines at affordable rates. With this new batch of vaccines, the CDC has ended its Bridge Access Program, which previously allowed uninsured and underinsured individuals to receive free COVID-19 vaccines. Most private insurance plans, along with Medicaid and Medicare, will cover the cost of COVID-19 vaccines, but uninsured folks will face out-of-pocket costs. However, a representative for the CDC said the agency is working to bolster local and state programs that would support efforts to vaccinate underinsured populations moving forward.
Although Austin Public Health offers some low-cost vaccines to uninsured Travis County residents, the local health agency does not yet have the updated COVID-19 vaccine in stock.
Vaccines from both Moderna and Pfizer target KP.2 Omicron variants, which were dominant in the spring and early summer. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention reports another closely related variant, KP.3.1.1, has now overtaken KP.2, but that the newly available vaccines will still offer protection.
Another manufacturer, Novavax, is currently working on securing FDA authorization for its own updated vaccine, which will target the JN.1 variant — the “parent strain” of KP.2, KP.3 and other currently circulating variants. Novavax produces protein-based vaccines, unlike Moderna and Pfizer’s messenger RNA-based shots.
The FDA recommends young children who have never been vaccinated against COVID-19 to begin a three-dose series of the latest approved shots. Older children and adults are recommended to receive a single dose regardless of their previous vaccination status. If it’s been at least 2 months since someone has received a previous COVID-19 vaccine, the FDA says it’s a good time to get the shot.
Correction: A previous version of this story said that vaccines would be available through the CDC's Bridge Access Program through the end of August. The program ended Aug. 22.
