You may have heard that there will be changes to the COVID-19 vaccine for this fall and winter. And maybe you’re wondering, should I get another COVID-19 shot? The answer is yes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone 6 months old and older get an updated COVID-19 vaccine. It’s also recommended that older adults, younger children and people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised get additional doses for added protection.
Why updated COVID-19 vaccines are recommended
The virus that causes COVID-19 is always changing and the protection from previous vaccines can also decrease over time. So, getting an updated vaccine can help restore or boost protection from the variants that are most common right now. Updated COVID-19 vaccines are available from Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax. The new COVID-19 vaccines are monovalent, meaning they contain components from one variant of the coronavirus.
Based on the latest recommendation from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines include components from the KP.2 Omicron subvariant of the coronavirus to target the variants currently circulating in our community.
The Novavax vaccine includes components of the JN.1 Omicron subvariant, which is the “parent strain” of the subvariants that are most common right now (including KP.2.3, KP.3, KP.3.1.1 and LB.1). While the Novavax vaccine is less targeted than the other vaccines, researchers say it should also provide protection against the strains of coronavirus that are currently circulating.
Monovalent vs. bivalent vaccines: Is one better?
All of this year’s COVID-19 vaccines are monovalent. But you may remember that some earlier COVID-19 vaccines were bivalent, meaning that they included components from two strains of the coronavirus.
It may seem like bivalent vaccines would be better since they protect against more variants of a virus, but that’s not always the case – it can depend on which variants of a virus will be circulating during a single year. Sometimes scientists think that one virus strain will be responsible for the most infections, so you only need a monovalent vaccine. But other times, there can be multiple strains in the community. For example, this is also why flu shots are sometimes monovalent, but other times they’re bivalent or even trivalent (this means they include components from three virus strains).
Plus, it’s possible that including components from more than one variant could make it harder for your body to build the best protection against the subvariants that are most common at the time. What’s going to be most beneficial in the coming months is protection against the new subvariants – and for the upcoming months, scientists believe that the circulating COVID-19 strains will be related to the KP.2 Omicron subvariant.
Does the need for a new COVID-19 vaccine mean that previous COVID-19 vaccines weren’t safe and effective?
Absolutely not. The need for updated vaccines is not a reflection of the safety and efficacy of the previous COVID-19 vaccines. It’s just that COVID-19 continues to change – and we’ll get the best protection from vaccines that are updated to protect against the strains of the coronavirus that are currently most common.
There’s no denying that previous COVID-19 vaccines saved countless lives during the pandemic – and continue to reduce the chance of severe illness. But it’s also true that current strains of the coronavirus are different than the strains that earlier vaccines were based on.
Since the new COVID-19 vaccine includes components based on the Omicron variant XBB.1.5, it should offer even better protection against COVID-19 in your community.
How many updated COVID-19 vaccines are there?
The two mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) have been updated. The Novavax vaccine, a protein subunit vaccine, hasn’t yet been updated for the XBB.1.5 subvariant. However, an updated Novavax vaccine may be available in the coming months.
Is the new COVID-19 vaccine considered a booster?
No, these new vaccines aren’t considered boosters. Instead, the FDA is calling them “updated COVID-19 vaccines.” So, what’s the difference?
This updated vaccine is different than a booster because it’s a new formula and not part of a series. Most people only need one dose of the new vaccine – even if they’ve never had a COVID-19 vaccine before.
A booster is an additional dose of vaccine that you get when the protection of the original vaccine starts to decrease. Getting a booster helps to bring a vaccine back up to the original level of effectiveness and extend the length of protection.
During the pandemic, the CDC recommended booster shots of the original vaccine because there were an increasing number of COVID-19 infections (and cases of breakthrough COVID-19).
Why you should get the updated COVID-19 vaccine
COVID-19 looks a lot different than it did a few years ago. Symptoms of the current subvariants are usually less severe. In fact, it can be hard to tell the difference between the flu and COVID-19. Still, there are good reasons to get the updated COVID-19 vaccine.
Boost your waning immunity
You probably don’t have the protection against COVID-19 that you once did. You can build up immunity to a virus in one of two ways: getting a vaccination or getting sick with the virus. You likely developed immunity to COVID-19 in one (or both) of these ways. But immunity wanes over time, and for most people, it’s been a while since they got sick or vaccinated.
According to the CDC, getting the 2024-2025 vaccine can help renew or strengthen your protection against the COVID-19 variants that are currently causing the most infections and hospitalizations.
Protect against long COVID
For some people, the lingering long haul COVID-19 symptoms are worse than being sick with the coronavirus. There are over 200 possible symptoms of long COVID that can affect your entire body, including your lungs, brain and heart – and these symptoms can last for weeks, months or even years. Getting the new vaccine can reduce your chance of long-haul symptoms, even if you get sick. Studies show that, in adults, the chance of getting long COVID is 50% lower if you’re vaccinated.
Prepare for what’s next
COVID-19 continues to change. While it’s unlikely that there will be a new variant that has the serious symptoms of Delta and earlier variants, we don’t know for sure. We also don’t know if new variants will be more likely to cause lingering symptoms like chronic fatigue after COVID-19.
How many COVID-19 doses do you need?
It’s recommended that everyone 6 months old and older get an updated vaccine. Most adults, teens and older kids only need one dose. But older adults, younger children and people who are immunocompromised should get more than one dose.
For people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine in the past
- 6 months to 4 years old – Children who previously received the Moderna vaccine will need one dose of the updated Moderna vaccine. Those who received the Pfizer vaccine will need one or two doses of the updated Pfizer vaccine, depending on the number of doses they had in the past.
- 5 to 11 years old – People in this age group need one dose of a Moderna or Pfizer vaccine.
- 12 to 64 years old – People in this age group only need one dose of a Pfizer, Moderna or Novavax vaccine.
- 65 years and older – People in this group should get two doses, usually given six months apart.
People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised should speak with their doctor, as they may need additional doses of an updated Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
For people who have never received a COVID-19 vaccine
- 6 months to 4 years old – Children will need two doses of the Moderna vaccine or three doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
- 5 to 11 years old – One dose of a Moderna or Pfizer vaccine.
- 12 to 64 years old – One dose of a Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, or two doses of the Novavax vaccine given 21 days apart.
- 65 years and older – Two doses of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, usually given six months apart. If you get the Novavax vaccine, you’ll need three doses (the third dose can be from any COVID-19 vaccine and is given six months after the second dose).
People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised should speak with their doctor, as they may need additional doses of the same brand of an updated Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
Why do people who are immunocompromised need more doses?
For most people, receiving one dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine will cause enough of an initial immune system response to protect them from the new variants. But for people with weakened immune systems, one dose of the updated vaccine may not produce enough protective antibodies to prevent them from getting sick. In these cases, people may need more doses of the new COVID-19 vaccine for greater protection.
You may be considered moderately or severely immunocompromised if you:
- Had an organ transplant
- Had stem cell transplants within the past two years
- Have severe primary immunodeficiency
- Are being treated for active cancer
- Have advanced or untreated HIV
- Are being treated with drugs that may suppress your immune system, such as high-dose corticosteroids
If you’re immunocompromised (or think you might be), make a primary care appointment to talk to your doctor.
Possible side effects of the updated COVID-19 vaccines
Do you remember the side effects that you had with previous COVID-19 vaccines? Chances are that your side effects will be very similar this time around. But there’s also a chance you’ll have fewer side effects if you were previously vaccinated or if you previously had COVID-19.
For most people, the common side effects are usually fatigue and feeling pain around where they got the shot. Less commonly, people experience headache, muscle pain, chills, fever and nausea. These side effects usually only last a couple of days.
When will the new vaccines be available? Here’s where to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
The updated mRNA vaccines are now available at HealthPartners – you can schedule a COVID-19 vaccination appointment now. And if you haven’t gotten your flu shot yet, you can get a COVID-19 vaccine and flu shot at the same time.
HealthPartners is not offering the Novavax vaccine at this time.
Are COVID-19 vaccines free?
If you have private or public health insurance, the new COVID-19 vaccine should be free for you if you get it from an in-network provider. If you get the vaccine from a provider outside your network, you may have to pay part of the cost. So, make sure that you check your insurance coverage before getting your vaccine.
If you don’t have insurance, you and your family may still be able to get the updated COVID-19 vaccine for free. Check with your local or state public health department about free or low cost-vaccines available near you. And the CDC’s Vaccines for Children Program provides COVID-19 vaccines to uninsured minors at no cost.