Vermonters seeking a new Omicron-specific COVID booster could be able to get the jab starting mid-next week.
State Epidemiologist Dr. Patsy Kelso said her office has been notified that an initial shipment of 17,000 doses have been allocated to Vermont, and a full supply will be available in the coming weeks.
"We expect them to arrive in Vermont around Sept. 6, and if that happens, we'll have that booster available to Vermonters on Sept. 7," she said. "We have clinics scheduled with EMS partners and our district offices at the Health Department."
Kelso said the second round of vaccines will be made available through pharmacies and doctor's offices.
NPR reports the U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week is expected to authorize the updated versions of both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines.
The new boosters have been specifically developed to target the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron subvariants. These are currently the dominant strains infecting people.
The move comes after the FDA in June rejected boosters that targeted the original strain of omicron. Instead, the agency asked the vaccine companies to develop new shots targeting the strains that had replaced it.
Kelso said the new vaccines will be made available on a first-come first- served basis in Vermont. Anyone 12 and older can get a shot, as long as they've had their primary COVID series, she said.
Have questions, comments, or concerns? Send us a message or get in touch with reporter Bob Kinzel:
