Federal health officials this week updated their recommendations for coronavirus vaccinations to allow people who are at least 65 years old or immunocompromised to receive a second updated booster shot to strengthen protection for the most vulnerable Americans, even as the virus recedes.

The Food and Drug Administration authorized the additional shot for those high-risk groups, and Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, signed off Wednesday after the agencys vaccine advisers met to discuss its benefits. People who are eligible for additional boosters should be able to get them later this week.

Federal health officials also simplified coronavirus vaccinations for everyone going forward. Anyone getting a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna shot whether a booster or first-ever vaccination will now get an updated vaccine, known as a bivalent shot, not the original vaccines, called monovalents. Health officials say the bivalent shots more closely match the circulating virus. For unvaccinated adults, that means one shot instead of several doses of the original vaccine.

Many people are likely to have questions about who should get a second booster, the best timing and what the recommendations mean for younger age groups. The changes for young children are more complicated. The recommendations will vary by age, vaccine and which shots they received previously. The CDC plans to post a detailed chart with recommendations for children under 6.

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CDC allows second covid booster: Who should get it and when - The Washington Post