Another updated version of the COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be available this fall, around the same time flu shots are rolled out, CDC Director Mandy Cohen, MD, told Bloomberg in an interview March 4.
"Folks should anticipate that when they get their flu shot, they'll get an updated COVID shot as well," Dr. Cohen said, adding that scientists are currently determining which strain the latest versions will target. That decision will likely not be made until May.
Four more recent COVID-19 updates:
- The government is suspending a federal program that ships free COVID-19 tests to people's homes beginning March 8. Any orders placed on or before that deadline will be delivered, according to COVIDTests.gov, the website where households can order the free testing kits. The U.S. brought the program back last November as respiratory virus season picked up. The government first launched the site in January 2022.
- On March 1, the CDC updated its COVID-19 guidance, dropping its previous recommendation that people who test positive should isolate for five days. The new guidance recommends people whose symptoms are improving overall and have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without medication can return to normal activities.
- The CDC issued recommendations Feb. 28 that adults 65 and older receive a second dose of the latest COVID-19 vaccine this spring.
- COVID-19 hospitalizations and emergency department visits have been declining for weeks. Admissions took a 10% dip for the week ending Feb. 24, the latest for which data are available.