As fall approaches, so too does yet another COVID-19 booster shot.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved the next generation of COVID shots. The shots, which are updated for variants circulating this year, could become available in Ohio in the coming weeks.
With a new booster on the way, The Dispatch checked back in with one of the most familiar faces throughout the pandemic — Dr. Joe Gastaldo, medical director of infectious diseases for OhioHealth.
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Gastaldo weighed in on what people should know about the new booster, when exactly it will likely be available and when people should get it. Although more federal guidance is forthcoming, Gastaldo said it's likely that doctors will recommend anyone eligible for the original COVID vaccines get this latest dose as well.
"It's very important to get this," Gastaldo said. "The virus is not going away. It is endemic, and we still have to be cognizant of unknowns with this virus."
Here's what else the doctor had to say about the latest round of COVID vaccines:
When should Ohioans start getting the new booster shot?
It won't be long, Gastaldo said, before the new COVID shot is shipped out to pharmacies and health care providers nationwide.
Once the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signs off on the shot, Gastaldo said it would likely be a matter of days before the new booster is available.
Supplies of the updated vaccine were expected to be available to providers by the end of this week, Ohio Department of Health Director Bruce Vanderhoff said Thursday night.
He said the vaccines would continue to be readily available to Ohioans, including to those without insurance.
“If you have medical insurance, and that includes Medicare or Medicaid, vaccines should be covered as a preventive health service, which means you likely will have no out-of-pocket costs,” Vanderhoff said. “Those without insurance can take advantage of several programs to ensure they can continue to get free vaccines, as well.”
But when it comes to the question of when Ohioans should make an appointment for their next COVID jab, Gastaldo said there is no one right answer.
"It depends on the person, if someone's had COVID recently, or if you're healthier," the doctor said.
A person who has had COVID can wait between four and six months before getting the new booster. That's due to the fact that catching the disease boosts a person's immunity on its own temporarily, Gastaldo said.
Ohioans over the age of 65 and those who are immunocompromised should get the shot right away, Gastaldo said. Relatively healthy individuals may be able to wait to get the booster if they want to time it around when they'll be seeing people over the holidays, he said.
Does it protect against newer variants?
The short answer is yes.
Testing has shown the new COVID shot is effective at preventing serious disease from newer variants, including the XBB.1.5 strain and the eg.5 variant.
Similar to the process followed annually by the flu vaccine, the latest COVID shot was reformulated to target the most likely variants of the virus that would be circulating this fall and winter, Gastaldo said.
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Although it's possible another unknown strain could yet develop, Gastaldo said the new booster has proved to be able to ward off serious infections of the latest variants.
"There's a soup of variants out there and we make the best prediction we can," Gastaldo said.
How safe is this booster and can Ohioans get it with other shots?
As in years past, Gastaldo said it is still safe to get the new COVID booster and the flu shot at the same time. In fact, Gastaldo said eligible Ohioans could even get the COVID booster, the flu shot and a vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) all in the same visit to the doctor's office or local pharmacy.
Vaccines for RSV, another respiratory illness that can cause serious infection in infants and the elderly, became available for the first time this year. Ohioans over the age of 65 and soon-to-be moms in their third trimester of pregnancy can get vaccinated for RSV, the doctor said.
The latest COVID boosters are just as safe as previous versions of the vaccine, Gastaldo said. Supporting that is the fact that mRNA COVID vaccines have been given to hundreds of millions nationwide with relatively few negative outcomes by comparison, according to the FDA.
The latest dose uses mRNA just as the original shots from Pfizer and Moderna both did, Gastaldo said. The difference is that the formula's genetic makeup has been retooled to better target the latest variants.
"I feel quite comfortable as a clinician recommending these (shots)," Gastaldo said. "There's so many different eyes that are looking at things. ... I have a lot of confidence in the process that gets us these vaccines."
mfilby@dispatch.com
@MaxFilby
