The virus is spreading, but new vaccines coming this fall could offer better protection. We asked experts about the right time for a booster.
Patients keep asking Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, the same question: Is it time to get another Covid shot?
The virus is circulating at high levels across the country. That might suggest it’s prime time for another dose of protection. But updated vaccines that target newer variants of the virus are expected to arrive this fall.
Experts said the right time for your next Covid shot will depend on your health status and what you’re hoping to get from the vaccines.
If you’re trying to get the most protection against the leading variants:
Doctors say that many people may want to wait for the updated vaccines, which have been retooled to better protect against the current dominant strains of the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that everyone ages 6 months or older receive an updated shot when they become available.
An upcoming vaccine from the biotechnology company Novavax will target JN.1, a coronavirus variant that accounted for the bulk of cases in the United States this winter. The Pfizer and Moderna shots coming this fall will target KP.2, a newer offshoot of JN.1 that’s been circulating this summer. The variants responsible for the largest share of cases in the United States right now, KP.3 and KP.3.1.1, are closely related to KP.2 and JN.1.
The vaccines that are currently available, by contrast, target older Omicron variants that fizzled out as JN.1 took hold this past winter.