COVID-19 shots may be required on an annual basis in the future: USFDA

According to top US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) experts, the US may need to update its Covid-19 vaccines every year, and "a new normal" may involve an annual vaccine alongside a seasonal flu shot.

The experts said that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that produces COVID-19, is the new normal, and it's time to recognise this. They further said the availability of efficient medicines, together with widespread vaccine and infection-induced immunity, could help mitigate the impact of future outbreaks.

They also opined that the virus will likely circulate globally, with other prevalent respiratory viruses like influenza. It was also stated by them that this scenario almost certainly necessitates the same level of annual consideration for vaccine composition revisions.

"A recent meeting of the VRBPAC on April 6, 2022, resulted in a lively discussion and agreement on many considerations for planning for upcoming approaches to COVID-19 vaccine strain composition decision-making, development, and recommendations," Dr Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research; Principal Deputy Commissioner Dr Janet Woodcock; and new FDA Commissioner Dr Robert Califf, wrote in a paper published in the medical journal JAMA on May 2.

The experts also noted that the coming fall season will present a big opportunity to boost COVID-19 vaccination coverage, with the goal of preserving lives.

The experts wrote, "During the 2022-2023 COVID-19 vaccine planning and selection process, it is important to recognize that the fall season will present a major opportunity to improve COVID-19 vaccination coverage with the goal of minimizing future societal disruption and saving lives. With the plan for implementation of this year’s vaccine selection process, society is moving toward a new normal that may well include annual COVID-19 vaccination alongside seasonal influenza vaccination."