New COVID-19 vaccine expected to be available soon in the Philly region – CBS Philly

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A major milestone in the fight against COVID-19. A new kind of vaccine will soon be available.

It's the first new formula since the shots came out in 2020.

The White House COVID response team says the virus is still a danger. This week, new COVID vaccines are being rolled out and they'll be available in the Philly region.

Federal officials say by the end of this week, 90% of Americans will be within a five-mile radius of being able to get the reformulated shots, which contain parts of the original vaccine with components that target omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5.

Those strains account for 99% of the circulating virus.

These offer better protection and have been authorized for use as a single booster dose at least two months after primary or booster vaccination.

Health officials say current trends show this is necessary.

"The seven-day average daily deaths are still too high, about 375 per day, well above the around 200 deaths a day we saw earlier this spring," Dr Rochelle Walensky, the director of the CDC, said. "And in my mind, far too high for a vaccine-preventable disease."

"We know that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are safe," Dr. Anthony Fauci, of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said. "We know that receiving the recommended vaccine dose is critical to maintaining optimal protection against severe COVID-19."

The vaccines will be offered at various CVS and Walgreens locations.

Experts say COVID vaccines will be like the flu reformulated yearly to match the strains.

Jasmine Payoute joined CBS3 Eyewitness News as a reporter in June 2021.

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New COVID-19 vaccine expected to be available soon in the Philly region - CBS Philly