No second bivalent for me. At least, not for now...

[edschweppe]

There will be a new round of COVID booster vaccines available - for "certain" Americans, that is:

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators on Tuesday cleared another COVID-19 booster dose for older adults and people with weak immune systems so they can shore up protection this spring — while taking steps to make coronavirus vaccinations simpler for everyone else.

The Food and Drug Administration said anyone 65 or older can opt to roll up their sleeves again as long as it's been at least four months since their first dose of the so-called bivalent vaccine that targets omicron strains.

And most people who are immune-compromised can choose another bivalent booster shot at least two months later, with additional doses in the future at the discretion of their physician.

For everyone else, regardless of whether it's a first shot or a booster, the FDA also said the original versions of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are outdated and will no longer be used. Instead, anyone getting a Pfizer or Moderna shot will receive the newer omicron-targeted version. For most people, if it's their first-ever vaccine, just one combo dose will be enough.

Anyone who's gotten their original vaccinations but hasn't yet had an omicron-targeted booster can still get one — but the agency will decide over the summer if younger, healthy people will eventually be offered a second bivalent booster.

[ ... ]

COVID-19 vaccines have saved millions of lives. And while protection against mild infections is short-lived, booster doses continue to do a good job fighting severe disease and death even as more contagious variants have popped up.

But at least 250 people in the U.S. a day still die from COVID-19, many of them elderly or frail, and protection can wane.

For eligible, high-risk groups, a spring second booster is a reasonable choice, said Dr. Matthew Laurens of the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

"We do have vaccines that are available to protect against these severe consequences, so why not use them?" he said. "They don't do any good just sitting on a shelf. So let's give them to individuals who are at the highest risk who can benefit the most."

Unfortunately for me personally, it does not appear that I'll be authorized another booster, as I'm not old enough, nor am I immunocompromised. I still have whole bunches of the official medical conditions that put me at higher risk of getting "very sick" (the CDC's phrase, not mine) from any COVID infection - but, at least as far as the Food and Drug Administration is concerned, it's not enough of a risk for me to get a second bivalent booster.

Gee, thanks, guys.