Kittisak Kaewchalun The FDA said Thursday it has advised COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers to use the KP.2 strain for their updated vaccines for the 2024-2025 season. An advisory panel of the agency voted unanimously on June 5 to recommend the JN.
1 lineage of the SARS-CoV-2 virus for this season’s vaccines. The committee also discussed recommending the JN.1 strain for the vaccine.
Based on continued monitoring of circulating strains, the FDA is now recommending the KP.2 strain, a so-called FLiRT variant, be used in this season’s vaccines, if feasible. Both the KP.
2 and JN.1 strains are descended from the JN.1 lineage.
The FDA said the change shouldn’t delay the availability of vaccines in the US this year. COVID-19 vaccine makers for the US market include Pfizer ( NYSE: PFE )/BioNTech ( NASDAQ: BNTX ), Moderna ( NASDAQ: MRNA ) and Novavax ( NASDAQ: NVAX ). More on BioNTech, Moderna, etc.
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