PORTLAND, Ore. — On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two new COVID-19 vaccines — one from Moderna and one from Pfizer — marking the third time the vaccines have been updated to keep up with new strains of the virus.
Leaders with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) said the approval, which came earlier than last year, was not unexpected. The mRNA vaccines target a strain called KP.2, which is circulating now and is expected to ramp up in the fall and winter months. OHA couldn't give an exact timeline of when Oregonians would be able to get the updated vaccines, but did say they'd be available in the coming weeks.
"I think for people that are on the fence and say, 'Oh, a new FDA vaccine, I'm going to wait,' this is the same vaccine that we have been using for the past several years," said Dr. Dean Sidelinger, OHA's health officer and state epidemiologist. "It is updated to fight some of the more recent variants, but the technology, the proven science behind this vaccine, has been with us for several years."
Health officials stress the protection they'll offer, especially against severe disease.
"Certainly it's much safer and much less miserable to get a COVID vaccine than it is to have to recover from COVID to get that protection," Sidelinger said, "Because even those people who aren't in the hospital, if you recently have it, you know, have reported a lot of brain fog and really bad fatigue."
Sidelinger explained that those most at risk should get the shots sooner, including older adults, younger children and people who are immunocompromised.
"But all of us, you know, six months and older should consider getting this vaccine. The protection starts within weeks after getting the vaccine, so if you're someone who's at higher risk with COVID still circulating at fairly high levels, now it will offer you protection from the summer wave," Sidelinger said.