On April 18, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) authorized changes for COVID-19 vaccines. These changes include authorizing additional boosters for older adults and immunocompromised individuals, authorizing bivalent vaccine for use as a primary series vaccine, and rescinding authorizations for monovalent vaccines. Advisors for the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) met on April 19 to review these changes and ultimately issued consistent recommendations.

Everyone should receive a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccination. Individuals aged 65 years and older and individuals with immunocompromise may wish to consider an additional bivalent COVID-19 vaccine, even if they have already received one. At this time, it is not required for these individuals to receive an additional bivalent vaccine to be considered up to date. Individuals who have never been vaccinated against COVID-19 will now receive a single bivalent vaccine for a primary series. Monovalent vaccines, even as a primary series, are no longer authorized by the FDA or recommended by CDC.

FDA and CDC will meet again in June to determine if COVID-19 vaccination schedules will continue on an ad hoc basis determined by situational factors or if the COVID vaccine will be moved to a more predictable immunization schedule, such as an annual immunization schedule.

Read the FDA statement here. Read the CDC statement here.