FDA: COVID-19 vaccines will be updated and approved before fall season
The FDA announced that the latest updates to Moderna and Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines are approved and ready for fall use.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday that American households would be eligible to order four Covid-19 tests starting in late September.
Free home tests provided by the federal government can detect new variants of the coronavirus as officials report a nationwide surge in cases.
This announcement follows the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of specific COVID-19 vaccines designed to protect against new strains of the virus that have been predominant in positive cases across the country this summer.
Nevertheless, the number of cases in Arizona remained “moderate,” according to wastewater data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But local health authorities warned that there could be a slight increase in infection cases as schools resume.
Here’s what you need to keep yourself safe and how you can get free tests sent to your home.
Online requests for free tests return after previous success
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than 900 million free COVID-19 tests have been shipped to American households since the pandemic began, regardless of insurance status.
According to HHS, the tests will be ordered through the federal agency’s online website and delivered directly to homes.
Orders for new tests are not currently possible, but are expected to be available on COVIDTests.gov by the end of September, according to HHS. A specific date is still unclear.
HHS did not immediately respond to The Arizona Republic’s request for further information.
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How long are tests valid?
The new round of tests can be ordered at COVIDTests.gov after the program restarts in early fall and will be valid until the end of 2024.
Home tests have different expiration dates, some of which have been extended under FDA emergency use authorization. A full list of these extensions can be found on the FDA website.
The extreme heat in Arizona could be particularly dangerous for COVID-19 tests, with the FDA warning that prolonged exposure to high temperatures could affect the test’s performance.
The FDA recommends that those ordering free tests consider delivery times to avoid having tests sitting around longer than the usual shipping process.
According to the German government, vaccines are still the most effective protection against severe COVID-19 cases
On Thursday, the FDA approved emergency use authorization of a new mRNA COVID-10 vaccine to combat the Omicron KP.2 variant.
According to Dr. Peter Marks, FDA director of biologics evaluation and research, the FDA has concluded that the well-tested vaccines form the basis for preventing COVID-19.
“These updated vaccines meet the agency’s rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality,” Marks wrote.
Vaccine makers must undergo three phases of clinical trials to ensure their formulations are safe and effective, according to the CDC. Clinical trials require real-world testing involving tens of thousands of volunteers from diverse demographic groups, the CDC added.
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The updated vaccines include Comirnaty and Spikevax for people ages 12 and older, as well as Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, which have also produced vaccines approved for people ages 6 months to 11 years.
“Given the waning immunity of the population from previous exposure to the virus and from prior vaccinations, we strongly recommend that those eligible get vaccinated with a current COVID-19 vaccine to have greater protection against the variants currently circulating,” Marks wrote.
