FDA restricts COVID-19 vaccine access to high-risk groups
The FDA has approved the latest COVID-19 vaccines, but is now restricting access to only those 65 and older or with specific health risks, such as asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, or immunocompromised conditions. This marks a significant shift from previous policies that allowed anyone 6 months and older to receive the vaccine. Healthy children and adults are no longer broadly eligible for COVID vaccines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to release updated recommendations but has already dropped previous guidance to vaccinate all healthy children and pregnant women.
"I'm worried that this puts the entire American population at risk for severe COVID disease and the complications associated with it," says Dr. Tina Tan of Northwestern University, the president of the Infectious Disease Society of America. "People who are not going to be able to get the vaccine if they want it. And you're going to see an increase in the number of individuals that are hospitalized or that potentially could die."
The new vaccines target the LP.8.1 Omicron subvariant and include updated shots from Moderna, Pfizer, and Novavax.
Read more: NPR
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