Federal Agencies Revive COVID Vaccine Push with Updated Shots: Here’s What They’re up to

U.S. regulators approved updated COVID-19 vaccines on Thursday, shots designed to more closely target recent virus strains.

With the Food and Drug Administration’s clearance, Pfizer and Moderna are set to begin shipping millions of doses. A third U.S. manufacturer, Novavax, expects its modified vaccine version to be available a little later.

The agency’s decision came a bit earlier than last year’s roll-out of updated COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccinations could be available within days.

This fall’s vaccine recipe is tailored to a newer branch of omicron descendants. The Pfizer and Moderna shots target a sub-type called KP.2 that was common earlier this year. While additional offshoots, particularly KP.3.1.1, now are spreading, a Pfizer spokesman said the company submitted data to FDA showing its updated vaccine “generates a substantially improved response” against multiple virus sub-types compared to last fall’s vaccine.

Health authorities say it is fine to get a COVID-19 and flu vaccination at the same time. Many drugstores already are advertising flu shots, and the prime time for that vaccination tends to be late September through October, just before flu typically starts its cold weather climb.

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