Share on PinterestNew restrictions for COVID-19 shots could lead to an uptick in cases, especially among vulnerable populations. juanma hache/Getty ImagesThe FDA approved updated COVID-19 shots for the fall, but federal health officials he changed their recommendations on who should receive them.The new vaccines are expected to contain updated formulas to fight the latest strains of the virus and should be ailable around mid-September.Experts are concerned that new policies regarding COVID-19 vaccine eligibility could increase the number of cases, especially among vulnerable populations.A late-summer COVID-19 surge with the new “Stratus” omicron subvariant has left many Americans wondering whether they’re eligible for updated COVID-19 shots this fall.
Health experts are concerned about the potential for increased spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases after some recent decisions by the Trump administration involving vaccines.
On August 27, the FDA approved updated COVID-19 shots with restrictions for many adults and children.
The FDA will limit COVID-19 vaccinations to “high risk” younger adults and children with at least one chronic health condition like obesity or asthma. In addition, children under 5 will no longer he access to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, but will be eligible for shots from Moderna and Novax.
This could mean millions of Americans will he to prove their case for vaccination, and healthy adults and children who wish to get vaccinated against COVID-19 will no longer be eligible.
According to new clinical guidelines from the American College of Cardiology, people with cardiovascular disease should be made eligible for the new shots. The ACC recommends vaccination against respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, influenza, and RSV, for people with heart disease.
All U.S. adults 65 and older are still eligible for vaccination against COVID-19.
The policy shifts for COVID-19 shots began in May when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced they were no longer recommending the COVID-19 vaccine to healthy adults under 65, pregnant people, and healthy children.
Then, in early August, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that his agency would eliminate $500 million in funding for 22 mRNA vaccine development programs.
The following week, Kennedy’s agency announced it was reviving the Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines, a move that some experts say could lead to anti-vaccination policies.
The announcements come as the CDC reports that the number of children who hen’t received recommended vaccines has hit a record high, while measles cases in the United States he reached their highest mark in 33 years.
These actions recently prompted the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to update its recommendation on COVID vaccines. The AAP urges parents to he their children ages 6 months to 18 years vaccinated against the respiratory disease that caused a worldwide pandemic in 2020.
Experts interviewed by Healthline say these new developments could he serious consequences in the coming months.
“With fewer persons vaccinated, we can anticipate an increase in hospitalizations, intensive care unit admissions, and even deaths during the coming winter season,” said William Schaffner, MD, an infectious disease specialist and a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University.
“It’s a really scary proposition that vaccines might not be ailable to everyone,” added Danelle Fisher, MD, a pediatrician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. “We may see what hoc COVID can still cause. Fasten your seat belts.”