CDC/FDA Offer Hints on Virus Countermeasures in Advance of the Fall 

CDC officials briefed the media on August 24^th about vaccines and other countermeasures to combat COVID, RSV, and influenza. The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is set to meet on September 12^th to decide whether to recommend updated COVID vaccines, so it is expected that the FDA will approve new COVID vaccines soon.  FDA approval must be complete before ACIP meets.  If all proceeds smoothly, CDC leaders anticipate vaccine rollout will begin by mid-September. Vaccines will likely be monovalent, targeting a single strain. 

Of particular note to LeadingAge provider members, older adults and individuals with immunocompromising conditions will be able to get a second dose of vaccine this year, for the first time. Regarding tests, it was reported at the Thursday briefing that HHS still has significant supply of tests that it is shipping to “schools, libraries, long-term care facilities, and other distribution points.”