U.S. health officials on Thursday authorized an updated version of Pfizer and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines, with the companies saying the doses will be available in the country “in the coming days.”
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This new formula, which was developed from the KP.2 variant of the virus, should make it possible to better target the variants currently in circulation, and thus offer better protection against the risks of hospitalization or death, declared the American Medicines Agency (FDA).
“We strongly encourage eligible individuals to receive an updated vaccine,” agency official Peter Marks said in a statement.
These vaccines will be available from the age of six months. In case of recent vaccination, the booster dose must be administered at least two months after the previous one.
The announcement comes as COVID-19 cases have been on the rise since June in the country, which is also already preparing for the winter epidemic season.
Pfizer and Moderna have each said their vaccines will be available “in the coming days” in U.S. pharmacies and hospitals.
“During the 2023-24 season, we saw more than 600,000 COVID hospitalizations in the United States,” Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said in a statement. “Staying up-to-date with your COVID-19 vaccine remains one of the best ways to stay protected.”
The United States now has an annual COVID-19 vaccination campaign, each time with a different vaccine, much like the one against the flu.
But only 22.5% of adults and 14% of children had received the updated vaccine dose for the 2023-2024 season, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
