[thehill.com]

The Biden administration announced that it is buying 66 million doses of updated Moderna COVID-19 vaccine targeting the omicron variant ahead of a planned booster campaign starting in “early fall.”

The updated vaccine will specifically target the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of omicron which are currently circulating and fueling a new increase in hospitalizations.

The Moderna purchase comes on top of an order placed last month for 105 million doses of Pfizer’s updated vaccine.

The first deliveries of the updated vaccines from both companies will begin in “early fall,” the Department of Health and Human Services said Friday, allowing the booster shot campaign to begin then, assuming the Food and Drug Administration formally signs off on the updated shots.

“We look forward to receiving these new variant-specific vaccines and working with state and local healthcare partners to make the vaccines available for free in communities around the country this fall,” said HHS Assistant Secretary Dawn O’Connell.

The timing sucks for me.

I'm due for a booster in August. It will have to be the original vaccine.

Using the 5-month guideline, if I get the booster in August, I won't qualify for a BA.4/BA.5-specific booster until February, right in the middle of the winter surge.

If I wait until the new booster is available in November, I won't have much resistance to COVID remaining in the fall.

...The Biden administration is pushing for an early approval to get the new vaccine out in September. So, do I postpone my vaccination on the basis of a leak/rumor about an accelerated timeline??

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I got my last booster about 4/1, so I should be due around 9/1. I think I will wait for the new version to come out before my next jab.

My mom just got over a bout of Covid, fully vaxed and double boosted, so I wonder when the optimal time will be for her to get her next boost.
I need to check and see how long after you have Covid do you want to get another boost

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Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburb)

I'd wait, you can always schedule a booster on short notice. No reason to commit right now.

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I was due for boost #2 in June, but I got COVID in late May. Probably Omicron, given the timing and the lesser symptoms. Wondering if I can still stretch with existing antibodies until the updated booster is out.

The wave has hit our county , several older relatives have their first infections, though all only have mild symptoms, if any. No difference in response between 2 boosters, or one, among folks I know.

I'm debating 4th shot now, or wait for the fall upgrade. I didn't do the second booster because it only has 4 weeks of moderate effectiveness.

We really need that new vaccine that will prevent infection, not just serious illness. We are on track for another 150k deaths in 2022, with 130k or more infections a day.

We've probably topped out at who is willing to get vaccinated in the US, and most of the world is not vaccinated, so the death and spread is not going to stop.

Never got a booster, but will attend a convention last week Sept

Do I just get whatever’s available early Sept?

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deckeda
Do I just get whatever’s available early Sept?

yes

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By the time they get the BA. 4/5 one into arms, BA.9.2.a will be in full winter bloom. Getting out in front of this will likely never happen, hopefully, with some Big Data modeling they can start getting ahead of the curve on the prediction of variants and formulate the vaccines accordingly rather than being reactionary.

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bfd
hopefully, with some Big Data modeling they can start getting ahead of the curve on the prediction of variants and formulate the vaccines accordingly rather than being reactionary.

If that were possible, they'd already be doing it.

Gotta time the releases for the November elections

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Mr645
Gotta time the releases for the November elections

The manufacturers and FDA said that the vaccines would be ready in mid-October. This would have been good timing for the election.

The administration asked them to try and have the new vaccines approved and shipped by September.

They appear to be putting public safety ahead of potential election-gains.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2022 08:41AM by Tiangou.