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?