Federal regulators approved updated COVID-19 vaccines on Thursday, shots designed to more closely target recent virus strains—and ideally whatever variants cause trouble this winter, too. With the Food and Drug Administration's clearance, Pfizer and Moderna are set to begin shipping millions of doses, which should be available in days. A third US manufacturer, Novavax, expects its modified vaccine version to be available a little later, the reports.
"We strongly encourage those who are eligible to consider receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine to provide better protection against currently circulating variants," said Dr. Peter Marks, the FDA's vaccine chief. The agency's decision came a bit earlier than last year's rollout of updated COVID-19 vaccines, as a summer wave of the virus continues in most of the country.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention already has recommended this fall's shot for everyone 6 months and older. While most Americans have some immunity from prior infections or vaccinations or both, that protection wanes. Last fall's shots targeted a different part of the coronavirus family tree, a strain that's no longer circulating, and CDC data shows only about 22.
5% of adults and 14% of children received it. Experts answered questions, per the AP, concerning:.