After the Food and Drug Administration signed off on updated COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer on Monday, you may have some questions, including when will the rollout begin, who is eligible and will you still be able to mix-and-match - given that the shots have been updated?
Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and FDA initially endorsed mixing-and-matching COVID boosters in Oct. 2021, NBC News previously reported, meaning people didn't get to have booster shots that matched their initial vaccinations.
That decision greatly expanded access across the country, because certain vaccines were more easily available in some areas than others.
The CDC director at the time recommended a booster six months or more after receiving Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for people 65 and older and adults 18 and older who live in long-term care settings, have underlying medical conditions or work or live in high-risk settings. Officials said the three vaccines - Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson - are effective and did not endorse any particular combination over another.
In guidance issued on Monday, the FDA stated that anyone 5 years old and above will be able to receive a single dose of either updated COVID vaccine, regardless if they have been vaccinated or not. The federal agency didn't say that a recipient must get the same dose of the shot they previously received. The FDA did state, however, that people should wait at least two months since their last COVID vaccination before getting another dose.
While you can mix-and-match shots, is it the best course of action?
There are limited data to suggest there is any benefit to “mixing and matching," according to an article from Yale New Haven Health.
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However if you had a reaction to one type of vaccine, getting a different one for your booster might be a good idea.
The CDC director is expected to grant the updated boosters final approval after its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices meets on Tuesday. Once that happens, shots could start being given out almost immediately.
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