Expect COVID-19 vaccine to operate like flu shot, with a new round in the fall

CLEVELAND, Ohio — You may be offered a reformulated one-shot COVID-19 vaccine this fall along with an updated flu shot, according to local health experts.

The updated COVID-19 vaccine will be reformulated months in advance, once researchers determine the most prevalent strain that will be circulating by fall, said Erika Sobolewski, medical director for Summit County Public Health.

While the public health emergency for COVID-19 has ended, the virus is still with us, Sobolewski said.

“We are shifting from the pandemic phase to the endemic state of COVID-19, where it is found very commonly among the population,” Sobolewski said. “Getting vaccinated is still the best prevention from severe illness, hospitalization and death.”

The COVID-19 vaccine is on people’s minds again because two recent moves by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding vaccine recommendations and isolation for those with the illness.

Vaccines: Americans 65 and older now are recommended to get an additional dose of the current one-shot COVID-19 vaccine, the CDC said Wednesday in updating its vaccine guidelines for the first time since the fall.

Older adults are at increased risk of severe disease from COVID-19, with more than half of COVID-19 hospitalizations from October to December 2023 occurring in adults 65 and older, the CDC said.

The one-shot COVID-19 vaccine first became available last fall, and was recommended for everyone age 5 and up to protect against serious illness.

Isolation: Then on Friday, the CDC issued new guidelines in isolation, saying Americans who test positive for the virus no longer need to stay away from others for at least five days.

The updated recommendations bring COVID-19 in line with the CDC’s advice for other kinds of respiratory infections, including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus. Offering a single set of unified guidance will make people more likely to follow it, agency experts said in a news briefing Friday.

People who have the illness should stay home until they’ve been fever-free without medication for at least 24 hours and their symptoms have been improving for 24 hours, the CDC said.

Most people under 65 can get a single COVID-19 vaccine yearly, according to current CDC recommendations, Sobolewski said. There are special allowances for additional doses for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, and initial vaccination in children 6 months to 4 years old.

People under 65 can get an additional vaccine shot two to three months after an infection, said Dr. Robert Salata, physician-in-chief at University Hospitals.

However, there are reasons to get a COVID-19 vaccine dose sooner, Sobolewski said. These include a person’s risk of severe disease, risk of disease in a loved one or close contact, local COVID-19 hospital admission level, and the most common variant currently causing illness.

“People who already had COVID-19 and do not get vaccinated after their recovery are more likely to get COVID-19 again, than those who get vaccinated after their recovery,” Sobolewski said.

U.S. adult COVID-19 vaccination coverage

Here are facts about COVID-19 vaccine uptake among American adults from the CDC. Estimates of vaccination coverage are based on self reporting.

As of Feb. 17, 22.3% of adults reported having received an updated 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccine since Sept. 14, 2023.

An additional 11.1% reported that they definitely plan to get vaccinated.

Across states and the District of Columbia, vaccination coverage ranged from 10.1% in Mississippi to 45.5% in Vermont.

Vaccination coverage increased by age and was highest among adults 75 years and older.

White adults had higher vaccination coverage than adults in all other race and ethnicity groups. Coverage ranged from 14.5% among Hispanic adults to 26.0% among non-Hispanic White adults.

Vaccination coverage was lower among adults living in rural areas (17.8%) than among people in suburban (22.7%) and urban (23.5%) areas.

Vaccination coverage was higher among insured adults (24.4%) than uninsured adults (7.3%).

Julie Washington covers healthcare for cleveland.com. Read previous stories at this link.