City prepares for updated COVID boosters

CHICAGO — The latest version of the COVID-19 vaccine has cleared a regulatory hurdle and could be going into the arms of Chicagoans by next week.

Today at 10 a.m. Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady will hold a virtual press conference to provide information on the updated vaccine and what steps remain before it can be distributed to area residents.

The briefing will be livestreamed within this story beginning at approximately 10 a.m.

On Wednesday the Food and Drug Administration amended emergency use authorizations to include tweaked vaccines by both Pfizer and Moderna which target today’s most common omicron variant strain. Up to this point, vaccines have only been targeting the original coronavirus strain.

An advisory committee for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) will now meet to provide a recommendation on the two new formulas. Once determined, they will need a final approval from the CDC before they can be given as a booster.

Read more on the vaccine requirements, including authorized ages.