New Fall COVID-19 Booster Vaccine: Side Effects, When To Get It – TODAY

Get ready for another COVID-19 vaccine dose. The Food and Drug Administration just approved new versions of COVID-19 boosters that are designed to better protect against the highly transmissible coronavirus strains that are circulating now.

With COVID-19 wastewater levels high and hospitalizations increasing right as kids head back to school, the new shot will help provide more protection at a crucial time, experts tell TODAY.com. And because another surge is likely this winter, it's a good idea to get your updated shot before then, they say.

Pharmacies are expected to start offering the shots in the coming days, NBC News reports.

"We continue to see a lot of COVID-19 activity across the country right now," CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said on a call with reporters.

Were in a were in a significant summer surge right now, Dr. Natalie Azar, NBC medical contributor, said during a Aug. 22 segment on the TODAY show. More than 40 states are reporting high or very levels of COVID-19 in wastewater, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"This is a not an unsurprising summer wave," Dr. Megan Ranney, dean of the Yale School of Public Health, tells TODAY.com "Once again, the virus has mutated, people's immunity has waned and we are using fewer precautions. So we're seeing a lot of cases."

However, current data suggests that those higher levels of COVID-19 are not translating into similar increases in emergency visits and hospitalizations or deaths, Cohen said. This is a similar trend that we saw last summer as well.

That said, hospitals are still seeing people with serious COVID-related complications, Dr. Stuart Ray, professor of medicine and oncology in the division of infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, tells TODAY.com.

In the hospital, in just the last couple of weeks, (I) saw people with pretty severe complications of COVID, like blood clots in their lungs, he says, including among relatively young and healthy people. While our situation is different from what it was in March 2020, COVID "is not just a cold," he says.

The surge is largely fueled by the emergence of new highly transmissible variants, particularly FLiRT strains like KP.3 and its relative, KP.3.1.1.

While the last updated vaccines did provide some protection against strains like those, the new variants are different enough that an updated booster is warranted, Dr. Bernard Camins, medical director for infection prevention at the Mount Sinai Health System, tells TODAY.com.

Vaccination continues to be the cornerstone of COVID-19 prevention, Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDAs Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a press release announcing the approvals.

"Given waning immunity of the population from previous exposure to the virus and from prior vaccination, we strongly encourage those who are eligible to consider receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine to provide better protection against currently circulating variants," the statement continued.

As we head into the fall, "it's important to stay vigilant and to use the tools we have to keep ourselves safe and healthy," Cohen said on the call, including vaccines, tests and treatments for COVID-19.

"Make a plan now to get your updated vaccine in September or October, ahead of the expected increases in (COVID-19 and flu) this winter," Cohen added.

The new vaccines are designed to provide better protection against more recent strains, particularly the JN.1 strain that was responsible for the massive surge earlier this year. If possible, the FDA advised drugmakers to target the KP.2 variant, which is a descendent of JN.1, for the fall shots.

The updated doses one from Pfizer and the other from Moderna will target just one strain: KP.2, the FDA release explains.

"This updated (vaccine) should give us the most current immunity that's available," Ray explains.

KP.2 is one of the FLiRT variants that took over during the summer, as TODAY.com explained previously. The most recent estimates show that variant KP.3.1.1 is now lead, causing about 37% of cases in the U.S. Meanwhile, KP.3 is responsible for about 17% and KP.2.3 is causing a little more than 14% of cases.

Another variant, LB.1, is also responsibly for about 14% of COVID-19 cases right now. This is another descendent of JN.1.

However, JN.1 itself has dropped off considerably and is now responsible for just 0.2% of cases, according to estimates from the CDC.

Back in June, the CDC recommended that anyone 6 months and older receive an updated COVID-19 shot as well as a flu vaccine this year, Azar said. Older adults should also consider getting the new RSV vaccine this fall, Camins says, which was approved just last year.

People who are in more vulnerable groups "definitely want to be getting in line to get the (new COVID booster)," Azar added. That includes people ages 65 and older, those with weakened immune systems and those with certain underlying health conditions that put them at a higher risk for severe COVID-19 complications.

For those who cant get the vaccine yet but remain at a higher risk for COVID-related complications amid the current surge, Camins recommends falling back on the strategies weve used previously. That includes wearing a high-quality mask when in crowded, indoor settings and avoiding those settings when possible.

"Even though the virus is mutating, which allows it to keep causing all these waves, the way it spreads has not changed," Ranney says. In addition to wearing a mask in crowded space and on public transit, she recommends holding events outside and testing before getting together with high-risk folks to reduce the spread.

Ray also recommends wearing high-quality masks or respirators, especially when in a crowded indoor area, on a plane or taking public transit.

People in this group should also keep Paxlovid in mind in the event of a COVID-19 infection, Camins says.

Immunocompromised folks, for whom a vaccine dose may not provide as much protection, can also ask their doctor about a monoclonal antibody treatment, Camins says. The FDA gave the drug, Pemgarda, emergency use authorization in March of this year. It may help protect against COVID-19 infections in this population, Camins says.

This vaccine was approved earlier in the season than others in the past. Last year's fall booster was approved in mid-September 2023 and protected against XBB coronavirus strains, for example.

But experts are predicting yet another wave to occur later in the year, as we've seen every winter with COVID-19. And it's important to get the updated vaccine before that surge, Ranney advises, but

It takes a couple weeks for the protection from the vaccine to reach its peak effect, Ranney says, and that protection then gradually wanes over the next two to three months. So getting it as soon as it's available may mean you're not as protected from a later winter surge.

That makes it challenging to perfectly time your updated dose. Here are some things to consider to help guide your decision.

High-risk folks, including older adults, should consider getting the new dose as soon as it's available because the virus is still circulating at high levels in many areas of the country, the experts say.

If you can't get it now, make sure you get it before the winter surge, Ranney says. "Whether you get it today or in mid-October, just get the darn booster. ... Just getting the booster is the most important part for those high risk people," she says. "And we had dismally low rates of vaccination for those highest risk groups last year."

Keep in mind that people in those categories may be eligible for another vaccine dose later in the winter season when the protection from this one wanes, Camins says. That's what happened this past February when the CDC recommended another dose for older adults amid a major post-holiday surge. But, Camins adds, we don't know for sure if that will happen this year too.

People who are at a lower risk for COVID-19 may have a particularly tricky time deciding when to get the updated shot, Azar said.

Those folks likely won't be eligible for a dose later in the winter, but protection from the vaccines begins to wane after about 90 to 120 days, Camins explains. That's why, "if you're low to moderate risk, you might actually want to wait a couple of months so that you're protected when the inevitable winter surge happens," Azar said.

Children going to school should also get the vaccine as soon as its available, especially high-risk children, to reduce their risk of being infected in the classroom and bringing it home, Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, previously told TODAY.com.

For kids who aren't as high risk, "I don't think it is as essential for them to get the booster as it was a couple of years ago," Ranney says. "Its not a bad idea to get the booster, (but) it's a bit more of a choice of what degree of protection you want against infection."

Keep high-risk situations in mind to help plan your dose, says Camins, who is planning to get the vaccine before traveling next month. Think about timing your vaccination so you're protected during any major trips you have planned, for example, or high-risk events, like large indoor weddings.

The vaccine's "greatest effect on reducing transmission is going to be in those first couple months after you get it," Ranney says. "So if you do have big events, plan (getting your shot) around that."

Those who've gotten a COVID-19 infection during this summer wave may want to consider delaying their next dose.

"The vaccine isn't going to do as much if you've been recently infected because your body's already revved up with antibodies," Ranney explains. "It's not going to hurt you to get it now, but it's just not going to have as much of an effect. So you might as well wait a couple months."

People who've had a recent COVID-19 infection should aim to stay up-to-date with vaccines, the CDC says, but they "may consider delaying" their shot by three months.

"We know that a lot of people got infected over the summer," Azar said. "In that case, you might actually want to wait about three to four months before getting (the updated booster)."

A COVID-19 infection will leave you with some protection from currently circulating strains, as TODAY.com explained previously. But protection after an infection is typically not as persistent as that from a vaccine, so you should still get the updated dose at some point.

As with people who were recently infected, those who recently got another dose of a COVID vaccine should wait a few months before getting the new one, Ray says.

"They might have received an additional dose of the vaccine recently because of susceptibility, travel or major events," he explains. "I know people who were traveling in the past couple of weeks who got the older XBB booster simply because they wanted to be as immune as they could and the new one wasn't available."

In that case, Ray recommends waiting at least three months between doses. It's not dangerous to get another dose earlier than that "you just won't get as big of a boost" as you would if you let your immune system "reset" in between doses, he explains.

If you don't have insurance, you should try to get the new booster soon after it becomes available.

The funding for the CDC's Bridge Access Program, which helps uninsured adults get vaccines, is running out at the end of August, Ranney says. Although the CDC has found another $62 million that can help cover vaccines for the uninsured, Ranney explains, "that's not going to go real far when you think about the number of uninsured people in the U.S."

So, if you are uninsured, "please go get the booster as soon as you possibly can," she says.

As with any vaccine, there is a potential for side effects.

The exact side effects of a COVID-19 vaccine or booster will vary from person to person. But the FDA notes that the side effects you experience may similar to those you had with previous doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Keep in mind that side effects are a sign that your immune system is building a response and that the vaccine's working, Ray explains. If you don't get side effects, that doesn't mean the vaccine isn't doing its job. But if you do, "you're just having a nice, vigorous response," he says, "and that's not a bad thing."

It is safe to get your COVID-19 vaccine and flu shot at the same appointment to help you save time. And, as TODAY.com explained previously, research indicates people who get both at once don't necessarily have more or more intense side effects.

However, Ray notes, the shots will likely need to be administered into different arms which means you might end up with two sore shoulders instead of just one. Whether you do it in one appointment or two, "you'll want to get both of those vaccines anyway," he says.

In general, the CDC says people may experience:

These side effects are typically temporary and mild, but may still interfere with your ability to go about your usual tasks for a day or two.

For more severe arm pain, you can try taking an over-the-counter pain reliever after your vaccination, gently stretching and using your arm or using a cool or warm compress, the CDC says.

Do not take a pain reliever before getting the shot, as this can affect the immune response, according to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. And, of course, its important to get rest and stay hydrated as your body deals with the side effects.

If you can, plan to take it easy the day after your vaccine.

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New Fall COVID-19 Booster Vaccine: Side Effects, When To Get It - TODAY