People weigh updated COVID-19 boosters as FDA potential approval nears

Updated COVID-19 vaccine boosters could get the green light from the FDA soon, sources tell NBC News.

“I’m going to get all the shots because I don’t want nothing happening to me,” said Denise Coppedge of Bloomfield.

There are mixed feelings about going out to get an updated COVID booster.

“I got my shots. I get my two boosters. I don’t think I’m getting anymore. I’m good,” said Norma Henry of Hartford.

Cases are rising, from the First Lady to the family of New Haven’s mayor. Also increasing are hospitalizations, though not as high as during the heights of the pandemic.

“But with these new variants out there, it doesn't mean that it can't get up there. And it doesn't mean that hospitalizations are necessarily going to remain low. So we have to be very vigilant to that,” said Hartford HealthCare's Dr. Ulysses Wu.

Sources tell NBC News that the FDA is expected to approve the new booster versions as soon as Friday. They were designed to target the XBB.1.5 omicron subvariant and should help against other types spreading now.

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"We haven't reached a predictable pattern with the virus. That's why we have to care. And we're seeing incredible mutations and changes in the virus," said Dr. Kavita Patel, NBC News medical contributor.

Doctors say the number one thing to do to protect yourself is to get vaccinated. They say everyone, if they are eligible, should consider a booster.

“When that comes out, you certainly can get it. But if you think that you can hold off till respiratory season, then that's something to really consider. And you can get it at the same time as your flu shot,” Wu said.

A booster is potentially more important for certain groups which are at higher risk, including the elderly and immunosuppressed.

The FDA said at-home tests still detect new variants. And folks should know vaccines are switching to be being paid through your private insurance, programs like Medicare or out-of-pocket.