The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna for the 2024 fall season. These new vaccines target the KP.2 variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. This update is part of an annual process to enhance vaccine protection against the latest strains of the virus.
Due to waning immunity from previous exposures and vaccinations, the FDA urges eligible individuals to receive the updated COVID-19 vaccine for better protection against circulating variants. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all Americans aged 6 months and older get the updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine to prepare for the expected surge in cases during the fall and winter.
CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen suggested beginning vaccine administration as soon as the shots are available and continuing through September, October, and November. Moderna and Pfizer anticipate that their vaccines will be available nationwide within days. An additional updated vaccine from Novavax is also expected to receive FDA authorization this year.
Health authorities have worked to expedite this year’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout to coincide with the arrival of flu shots in clinics. This aligns the COVID-19 vaccination process more closely with the annual flu vaccine schedule. The CDC recommends getting the flu shot in September or October, which can be administered alongside the COVID-19 vaccine for convenience.
The decision to target the KP.2 variant in the new vaccines differs from the World Health Organization’s recommendation to target the JN.1 variant. Although KP.2 has been declining, another variant, KP.3.1.1, has been rising. Despite the differences between these strains, scientists believe the gap in effectiveness between the vaccines targeting these variants is small.
Overall, the rollout of these updated vaccines aims to provide timely protection against COVID-19 as part of the broader effort to manage the virus alongside other respiratory illnesses.
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