The Food and Drug Administration has approved recently formulated covid vaccines Pfizer and modern. Unlike booster shots released in the past, this vaccine is not made with components from the original Covid variants that spread in 2020. It is a monovalent vaccine that targets an omicron subvariant. reports The New York Timesas recommended by the FDA in June.
The new vaccines specifically address the XBB.1.5 omicron variant, which became the dominant covid strain in certain parts of the US last winter and is most closely related to EG.5, which currently accounts for 21.5 percent of cases, according to CDC data.
While the FDA approved the vaccines for people ages 12 and older, it authorized the shots for emergency use in children between six months and 11 years of age. As a result of the update, previous Moderna and Pfizer boosters are no longer authorized for use in the US.
The FDA notes that “the updated vaccines are expected to provide good protection against COVID-19 variants currently circulating,” adding that the “composition” of the shots may need an annual update in the future, similar to what what we see with flu vaccines. .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will discuss vaccine recommendations on Tuesday. If the CDC releases its recommendations tomorrow, the vaccine could be available to the public later this week.
