University of Illinois at Chicago epidemiologist explains new COVID-19 booster targeting omicron
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a COVID-19 booster shot which specifically targets the omicron variant.
The goal is to make the new booster available this fall ahead of an expected winter surge of cases.
CBS 2's Shardaa Gray spoke a Dr. Katrine Wallace, an epidemiologist from the University of Illinois at Chicago, who said since the coronavirus mutates, experts want to get to a point where they can predict what strain to immunize for.
In approving the potent vaccine, the FDA is aiming to keep people free of COVID-19. The bivalent booster is made up of two vaccines.
"One from the original strain of SARS-CoV-2, and the other one in common between the Ba.4 and Ba.5 omicron variant lineages," said Dr. Robert Califf, of the FDA.
People can get the new booster in as little as two months after their last shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The FDA cleared two options to get the booster. People as young as 12 will be able to receive a booster from Pfizer. The other from Moderna is for those 18 and older.
But the booster still has to be approved by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Public health experts and vaccine experts that will review the scientific data and vote on vaccine recommendations," said Wallace.
Gray asked Wallace if the new booster shot is similar to the flu shot given out every year.
"I think that's the idea because we know that COVID is not going anywhere and viruses mutate," Wallace said.
She added the goal is to stay one step ahead.
"We need to just somehow to get this to a point where we can predict what strain to immunize for, get those shots into people, get enough uptake that we have enough population immunity to kind of keep it under control until the next winter surge," Wallace said.
Another big question remains: when can you get the booster?
If the CDC approves the boosters, Wallace said they will likely be available some time next week.
