COVID-19 vaccinations are updated and ready for the fall, FDA says

The novel Covid vaccination from Pfizer and Moderna was authorized by the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday.

Since the first series, the vaccinations have been modified three times to match circulating strains. The vaccines ought to be accessible in a few days.

Updated mRNA shots will be stocked at pharmacies and clinics in the coming days, according to Moderna and Pfizer.

“Vaccination continues to be the cornerstone of COVID-19 prevention,” Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a statement. “These updated vaccines meet the agency’s rigorous, scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality. Given waning immunity of the population from previous exposure to the virus and from prior vaccination, we strongly encourage those who are eligible to consider receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine to provide better protection against currently circulating variants.”

The majority of the United States is still experiencing the summer wave of Covid disease, so the timing of the new vaccinations—last year's release occurred in mid-September—is noteworthy. According to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday, there has been a steady increase in the number of individuals testing positive for COVID-19 and an increase in COVID-19-related ER visits since mid-May. Hospital admissions are also increasing.

Based on statistics from the CDC, KP.3.1.1 is currently the most common strain in the US, accounting for an estimated 37% of infections over the last two weeks. That is three times what it was a month ago.

JN.1, the target of a new protein-based vaccine from Novavax, is the parent strain of KP.3.1.1 and KP.2, the strain included in the revised mRNA vaccines. They are all variations of the Omicron type.

In June, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised that everyone older than six months should get vaccinated against the new Covid-19 virus as well as the flu this year.

According to a Thursday announcement from the FDA, those who have not received their final dosage of the Pfizer or Moderna Covid-19 vaccination within the last two months are eligible to obtain an updated shot.

Six months to four years old who have not received vaccinations can receive two doses of the updated Moderna vaccine or three doses of the updated Pfizer vaccine. Depending on when and how many doses they have already had, individuals in this age range who have already received vaccinations may receive one to two doses of the updated shots. Additional dosages may be appropriate for certain individuals with compromised immune systems, aged 6 months to 11 years.