Updated COVID-19 shot expected to come this fall, CDC director says

Source: Seattle Times/Bloomberg

March 4, 2024 at 5:10 pm


WASHINGTON — Americans should expect yet another update of the COVID-19 vaccine this fall at about the same time as flu shots are available, the top U.S. public health official said Monday.

Researchers are working on selecting a strain for the upcoming version, and will probably wait until May to pick one to target with vaccines, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Mandy Cohen said in an interview at Bloomberg’s offices in Washington.

Cohen took the helm at the CDC in July, just weeks after the U.S. ended the emergency declaration that gave the agency special powers to address the COVID crisis. As COVID death rates and hospitalizations quickly recede, the focus remains on making sure that vulnerable Americans continue to get vaccine protection, Cohen said.

“Folks should anticipate that when they get their flu shot, they’ll get an updated COVID shot as well,” Cohen said in the interview.


Read more: https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/updated-covid-19-shot-expected-to-come-this-fall-cdc-director-says/