Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Could Get Approval This Week

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is preparing to authorize an updated COVID-19 vaccine as soon as this week. The new vaccine will target current circulating virus strains as the U.S. is experiencing a summer COVID-19 wave of infections, as CMM previously reported.

CNN’s sources reported the FDA is anticipated to approve updated Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccines that target the KP.2 strain. The news source was unsure if the FDA would also greenlight Novavak’s updated vaccine that targets the JN.1 strain.

If approved, these new vaccines would be available sooner than last year’s versions, which were released Sept. 11, 2023.

In June, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that everyone over 6 months receive updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines to protect against the virus this fall and winter. Vaccine manufacturers told CNN that ample supplies of the vaccines are available and could be in stores within days once approved.

As of Aug. 10, the CDC’s national COVID-19 viral activity measure is currently rated “very high.” The COVID-19 viral activity in wastewater reached 8.82—slightly lower than a July 2022 peak. Before levels started growing again in May, viral activity was as low as 1.36.