On September 1, the CDC endorsed the first updated COVID-19 booster shots, which were recently reformulated to protect against the omicron variants that are currently the
most prevalent strains of the coronavirus. The updated boosters from both Pfizer and Moderna were recently approved by the FDA under emergency use authorization in August.
The Pfizer omicron booster is approved for anyone age 12 and up, and the Moderna booster is approved for ages 18 and up by both the CDC and the Washington Department of Health (DOH). As is the case with many people who have now had breakthrough cases
of COVID-19, if you recently had COVID-19, the CDC says that you can wait three months from the date you tested positive/experienced symptoms before receiving the booster.
The CDC expects the updated boosters to provide better protection against the omicron variants of COVID-19 that are most common now. The efficacy of older versions of the vaccines have waned as the coronavirus has evolved, allowing more (though primarily
mild) breakthrough cases, necessitating the updated vaccine. As before, the boosters are not expected to prevent all infections, but are expected to be effective in preventing serious cases of COVID-19. Barring unexpected evolutionary shifts in the
disease, the hope is that eventually COVID-19 will be able to be controlled for most people with an annual updated booster shot,
similar to annual flu shots.
For public employees that are under a state vaccine mandate, an employee is still considered “fully vaccinated” if they’ve completed their
initial series of COVID-19 vaccinations and are not required to get a booster at this time. However, for city employees that are interested in getting the updated COVID-19 booster, the DOH has said that an initial shipment of nearly 200,000 doses has been distributed to providers statewide and should be available now. More shipments are also expected in coming weeks. You can check out the state’s vaccine locator to find a vaccination site near you.