Updated at 4:06 p.m.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized Covid-19 booster shots from Pfizer and Moderna on Wednesday that are targeted to the newest variants of the virus.
The Department of Health plans to start distributing an initial shipment of 17,000 doses on Sept. 6 or 7, assuming that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approves it later this week, said department spokesperson Ben Truman.
Vermont state epidemiologist Patsy Kelso told Vermont Public on Tuesday that boosters will be available at pharmacies and doctor’s offices.
The new shots contain viral material from SARS-CoV-2’s original strain as well as the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants, the FDA reported, giving people who get it “increased protection against the currently circulating omicron variant.”
Anyone 12 years and older is eligible for the Pfizer vaccine, while the Moderna vaccine is only available to those 18 years and older, the agency reported.
This is the second booster dose the FDA has made eligible to the general public, after authorizing the first booster dose in 2021. It recommended another booster dose in March for high-risk people and people 50 years and older.
When asked if the new boosters would also be available at the state’s remaining walk-in clinics, Truman said information specific to that would be posted soon on the department’s website.
