The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved updated COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna, specifically targeting the KP.2 variant. This approval comes in time for the fall and winter vaccination campaigns.
The updated shots are expected to be available nationwide in the coming days, as announced by the companies. In June, the FDA had requested vaccine manufacturers to develop variants targeting the latest strains, if feasible.
Unlike the older vaccines that addressed now-unused variants, the new shots are designed to more closely target currently circulating variants, providing enhanced protection against severe symptoms of the disease.
\"Vaccination continues to be the cornerstone of COVID-19 prevention,\" stated Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.
Although the KP.2 variant is no longer the dominant strain, it remains related to other circulating variants in the United States. Health regulators aim to protect against these by focusing on closely related forms like KP.2.
The FDA approved Moderna's Spikevax and Pfizer’s Comirnaty for use in children aged six months and older, as well as adults. For children under 12 years, the shots are authorized under the agency's emergency use pathway.
However, the FDA did not approve the traditional protein-based shot developed by Novavax, which offers an alternative to those hesitant about mRNA vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer. Novavax is actively working with the FDA and expects to receive authorization in time for the peak vaccination season. The company has been manufacturing the updated shots in anticipation of approval.
These approvals occur as COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths have risen over the past three months in the United States, despite a sharp decline in overall demand for the shots since the pandemic's peak.
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U.S. FDA approves updated COVID-19 shots ahead of fall and winter
cgtn.com
