Around 4 million Americans received the updated COVID-19 shots in September, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), even as some people have found it difficult to book vaccination appointments or find the vaccines at no cost.
“The Biden-Harris Administration, through HHS, has been working directly with manufacturers and distributors to ensure that the vaccines are getting to pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, and other vaccination sites, including long-term care facilities as quickly as possible,” a spokesperson for the department said in an emailed statement.
The updated shots from Pfizer (PFE.N) and BioNTech (22UAy.DE) or Moderna (MRNA.O) are single-target vaccines aimed at the XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariant of the coronavirus, which was dominant in the U.S. for much of this year but has since been overtaken by other variants as the virus evolves.
Another updated COVID shot, made by Novavax (NVAX.O), was authorized on Tuesday but is not yet available.
That’s it? That’s pathetic. We deserve what we’re going to get.
I’m planning on getting the shot but not yet. I usually get my flu shot late October or early November and will aim to get it around the same time so protection lasts through my areas coldest months. I imagine there are many people like me it that boat. Plus it will (probably) be easier to book in a few weeks.