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WHAT WA NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEW OMICRON-SPECIFIC COVID BOOSTERS

Aug. 31, 2022 at 12:55 pm Updated Aug. 31, 2022 at 6:07 pm

This August 2022 photo provided by Pfizer shows vials of the company’s updated
COVID-19 vaccine during production in Kalamazoo, Mich. U.S. regulators have
authorized updated COVID-19 boosters, the first to directly target today’s most
common omicron strain.... More
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By
Christine Clarridge
Seattle Times staff reporter

While many Americans say they’ve resumed life as if COVID-19 were in the
rearview mirror, people are still dying, different variants of the coronavirus
continue to emerge and the way officials are trying to grapple with the disease
is evolving.

On Wednesday, the U.S. authorized its first update to COVID-19 vaccine booster
doses that target the most common omicron variant. Shots could begin within
days.

Here’s what you need to know about the new booster shots.

What’s different about these shots?

The formula for the modified boosters is a tweak on the recipe of the original
mRNA shots made by Pfizer and rival Moderna. They contain half the original
vaccine recipe and half protection against the newest omicron versions, called
BA.4 and BA.5, that are considered the most contagious yet.

Who should get the new booster?

An advisory panel for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will debate
Thursday and is expected to issue suggestions on who should get the new booster,
including whether people at high risk for COVID-19 should go first.

If past booster recommendations are any indication, the agency could ultimately
recommend people who are most vulnerable to severe disease, including people 65
and older and those near 50 with multiple health problems, have first access to
the boosters.

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However, there’s some indication they will be more widely recommended.

“As we head into fall and begin to spend more time indoors, we strongly
encourage anyone who is eligible to consider receiving a booster dose with a
bivalent COVID-19 vaccine to provide better protection against currently
circulating variants,” U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Robert
Califf said in a statement.


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When will these new boosters be available locally?

The soonest they could be available in the Seattle area would be the weekend of
Sept. 9, according to Public Health – Seattle & King County.

“The very earliest we could expect to have the new booster doses available at
our vaccination sites at the Auburn Outlet Collection Mall would be the weekend
of September 9th,” the public health agency said in a blog post. “However,
delays in shipping are possible, so it could be later.”

Will Americans have to pay for their boosters moving forward?

The U.S. government anticipates that without additional funds from Congress, it
will have to stop purchasing and providing free COVID-19 shots to Americans as
early as January.

That means people would have to obtain shots through insurers or pay for them
out-of-pocket as they do with most other vaccines, including seasonal flu shots.
Pfizer and Moderna have charged the U.S. government between $15 and $30 per
dose, depending on the size of the supply contract. Moderna has previously
indicated it would charge between $32 and $37 per dose for its vaccine.

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But what about Washingtonians?

Gubernatorial spokesperson Mike Faulk said Gov. Jay Inslee’s office is working
with relevant agencies to determine what actions the state may need to take to
ensure continued vaccine access, both primary series and boosters, for uninsured
or underinsured Washingtonians. Those with private insurance or Apple Health
coverage will continue to have access to vaccines with no cost-sharing, Faulk
said in an email.

Did the federal government end its distribution of free at-home coronavirus
tests?

The federal government said this week that due to a lack of funding, people will
no longer be able to order free at-home coronavirus tests on its site after
Friday.



Can we still get free at-home tests in Washington?

Yes. Free at-home tests are still available through the Washington State
Department of Health website. Spokesperson Raechel Sims said the agency had been
receiving orders of about 2,000-4,000 per day. But that number swelled to
17,000-20,000 daily after the federal government announced it would no longer
distribute the tests for free.

How long are the free tests expected to be available in our state?

There’s still plenty of inventory to meet the state’s at-home testing demands,
Sims said, noting that officials have no plan to end or change the program.


Christine Clarridge: 206-464-8983 or cclarridge@seattletimes.com; on Twitter:
@c_clarridge.


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