evidence: FDA and CDC sign off on new COVID vaccines. Here's what to know about the updated shots for fall 2023. Updated COVID-19 vaccine shots are expected to be available nationwide as soon as Sept. 13, after a panel of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's outside vaccine advisers voted by a wide majority to back new shots retargeted for newer variants ahead of the fall virus season. [...] While the public has grown accustomed to calling additional shots "boosters," health officials are now moving away from the word "booster," instead calling this year's shots the "2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine" or simply the "updated COVID-19 vaccine." This clarification helps distinguish previous additional doses from this year's updated vaccine formula.