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

New Jersey 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-CoV-2 virus, the most recent variant that has been spreading in New Jersey.

The new versions will not be available to every New Jersey 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.

Those FDA limits differ from New Jersey's COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, which say everyone 6 months and older should get a COVID-19 vaccine.

"It is especially important for those 65 and older, individuals at high risk of severe COVID-19, or anyone who has never received a COVID-19 vaccine," the state Department of Health says.

New Jersey health officials have not commented on the FDA limits on the new COVID-19 vaccines.

The state's recommendations match those of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which say those 6 months old or older should receive COVID-19 vaccinations.