(WXYZ) — A new Omicron-specific booster will be available at pharmacies around the country beginning Wednesday.
Moderna’s omicron-specific booster is approved for adults 18 and up while Pfizer's has been green-lit for people 12 and up. Both are available to people as long as it’s been 2 months since their last booster.
"We expect millions of people to get the shot this month as folks get back to school and work and back into their regular routines after the summer," White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said.
National health leaders say fighting against COVID is likely to become an annual to-do starting this fall.
"I really believe this is why God gave us two arms. One for the flu shot and one for the COVID shot," Dr. Jha said.
Walgreens and select CVS locations will begin offering updated protection starting Wednesday, September 7. The goal is to avoid another winter uptick in cases as seen in previous years.
"For those who have underlying conditions, immunocompromised, we may need to do it more," Dr. Anthony Fauci said.
Caveats to these new boosters include new future variants which could change things. And, some people may also need to get more than one shot a year.
The Department of Health and Human Service expects by the end of this week, 90% of Americans will live within 5 miles of a site that offers this latest protection.
