An abundance of evidence indicates the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are remarkably safe and work well to protect against severe disease. But last month, the state of Florida issued updated vaccine guidance advising “against the use” of the shots entirely — even for people who are older and at higher risk of severe disease. Experts say the advice is ill-informed and “illogical.”
In late August, in time for the fall season, the Food and Drug Administration authorized and approved updated COVID-19 vaccines that target JN.1-lineage omicron variants of the coronavirus, or SARS-CoV-2. The options include the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna — the vaccines that the vast majority of Americans have received in the past — and a protein subunit vaccine from Novavax for those 12 years of age and older.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that everyone over the age of 6 months get an updated vaccine, noting that vaccination is most important for higher-risk people, including those who are pregnant, older or have certain medical conditions. (For more, see “Q&A on the 2024-2025 COVID-19 Vaccines.”)