Those not at high risk of COVID may be about a year out from their last booster. Federal health officials should advise as soon as possible on who should get an updated booster.

By Editorial Board

August 17, 2023 at 10:30PM

A nurse measured a dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in Brooklyn Center in 2021. Nationally, just 17% of the population has had a COVID booster, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More guidance on this fall’s pending boosters is needed, the Star Tribune Editorial Board argues. (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Opinion editor's note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.

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It's closing in on a year since Americans in generally good health got their most recent COVID booster shots. With Labor Day and autumn approaching, guidance is needed soon for those under 65 without underlying health conditions on if or when another booster is needed.

The first updated COVID booster shot, also known as the bivalent shot because it targeted COVID's original strains as well as newer ones, rolled out last fall. That may be the last time that those in the general population have been immunized. In April, federal health officials authorized another bivalent booster for people at high risk for severe COVID — generally, the elderly or those who are immunocompromised. But they didn't advise a second one at that time outside these categories.

This fall, a new booster targeting additional variants is expected to be available. There are growing concerns about waning protections among those who got the booster last fall but weren't eligible for another booster this spring. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have yet to issue guidance but should do so as soon as possible.

The agencies' guidance will likely focus on those at high risk for COVID complications. But federal officials should also anticipate questions that people at lower risk might have when the recommendations come out, which hopefully will happen in coming weeks.

If, for example, another booster isn't authorized for the general population, health officials should say why. A fuller explanation for the public was lacking last spring, when the second booster was recommended for high-risk groups but not others.

If the booster is widely recommended, advice on when to get it would be helpful. Would a shot later in the season be better timed to provide protection during a winter COVID surge? Is it better to wait so that higher-risk groups have access to the new booster first?

Targeted, accessible information is also critical for parents who want to protect their kids. Students will be back in school soon, where indoor conditions can fuel COVID's spread. Parents will want to know if a booster is in order. Parents with hesitancy about mRNA vaccines (the Pfizer and Moderna shots) would also benefit from more information about non-mRNA alternatives, such as Novavax.

This year, the FDA and CDC have put a priority on simplifying vaccine guidance. That's understandable, but that approach regrettably left many people with more questions than answers when updated guidelines rolled out earlier this year.

Nationally, just 17% of the U.S. population has had a COVID booster, according to the CDC. While it appears policy is shifting toward regular boosters just for those at risk of severe COVID, clarity is still needed during this transition for everyone else and potentially could help improve booster uptake.

The pandemic may officially be at a close, but it's not yet time to let down our collective guard. The vaccine isn't a panacea, but it's certainly a potent defense. That's why it's important to stay up to date on this immunization.

"Vaccination is a key way to protect yourself from getting COVID,'' said Lynn Bahta, a Minnesota Department of Health vaccine expert. Masking and other precautions are important as well to combat COVID's spread, she added, particularly if cooler temperatures are accompanied by rising cases and hospitalizations.

Bahta also urged people who do become ill with COVID to seek out Paxlovid, a treatment that can significantly reduce the risk of hospitalization and death in those who become ill.

As of Aug. 7, the most recent CDC data available, weekly COVID hospitalizations rose 14.3% across the nation. Deaths were up 10% during the same period. Unlike the pandemic's beginning, the medical arsenal includes preventives and treatments. Clear, timely guidance for all can ensure that consumers know when and how to take advantage of them.