Updated vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax are expected to be available in the coming weeks, pending approval by the Food and Drug Administration.
The CDC announced that its independent panel of advisors will meet on September 12 to vote on a recommendation for eligibility guidelines for new COVID-19 vaccines and updates to influenza and RSV vaccines.
“Our goal, our imperative, our task is to make sure we’re using those tools,” a CDC official said, according to CNBC. “Vaccination is going to continue to be key this year because immunity wanes and because the Covid-19 virus continues to change.”
The rollout of the new COVID-19 vaccines comes on the heels of an uptick in infections and talks of pandemic-era mandates being reinstated in parts of the country, as reported by The Dallas Express.
The Eris variant, scientifically referred to as EG.5, is being monitored by public health officials because of how much it has spread in the United States. It surpassed the Arcturus variant, also known as XBB.1.16, as the most prevalent variant in the United States on August 5, amassing a 20.6% share of cases between August 6 and 10.
When previously asked by The Press Democrat how concerned the public should be about the Eris variant, Dr. Karen Smith, interim health officer of Sonoma County in California, said that it has not been associated with a worsening of symptoms.
“It appears to be about the same pathogenicity as recent Omicron variants,” she added, calling it “good news.”
As recently covered by The Dallas Express, research suggests that the severity of COVID-19 can be heavily affected by a person’s weight, with obese people — many of whom suffer higher levels of inflammation — finding it more difficult to fight the viral infection.
The updated shots have been designed to fight the subvariant known as XBB.1.5. While such cases have declined, trials run by Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax allegedly show effectiveness against Eris.
