New COVID-19 Vaccine Restrictions: What It Means For Connecticut Residents

CONNECTICUT — Connecticut residents looking for the newest COVID-19 vaccines ahead of the fall and winter respiratory illness season will be faced with some limits, as the Food and Drug Administration announced changes to who is eligible to receive them.

The FDA approved new versions of the COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and BioNTech and from Moderna, the companies announced. The newest versions are designed to target the LP.8.1 sublineage of the SARS-oV-2 virus, the most recent variant that has been spreading in Connecticut.

The new versions will not be available to every Connecticut resident who wants one, according to the FDA approvals.

The updated vaccines will be available to everyone age 65 or older, the FDA said.

Those 64 or younger can only receive the vaccines if they have at least one underlying condition that puts them at high risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19, the FDA said.

Moderna's vaccines have been approved to be administered to children as young as 6 months old if they have an underlying condition, while the Pfizer vaccine is only available to children who are at least 5 years old and have an underlying condition.

Representatives from the health departments of Connecticut and neighboring states convened earlier this week to explore coordinated public health guidance independent of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, Hearst reported. The discussion focused on ensuring consistent, science-based recommendations across states.

Gov. Ned Lamont later stressed the importance of a unified regional voice—especially in light of conflicting messaging from the Department of Health and Human Services: "There’s some confusion coming out of HHS when it comes to vaccines, and so... all of our public health officials... speak with one voice, lend some clarity," he told reporters.

Connecticut has already issued COVID-19 exposure guidance for health care workers that supersedes CDC rules, recommending three days of isolation, not returning immediately as the CDC currently permits.

with Patch editor Karen Wall