The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 3 recommended updating the formulation of the COVID-19 vaccines because of studies that indicate their effectiveness is worse against circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
“Available data,” the FDA staffers wrote, “suggest that updating the current formula of COVID-19 vaccines to more closely match currently circulating JN.1 lineage viruses is warranted for the anticipated 2024–2025 respiratory virus season in the U.S.
” Three COVID-19 vaccines are on the market in the United States, made by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Novavax. The shots target the XBB.1.
5 subvariant of SARS-CoV-2 and were cleared by regulators in the fall of 2023. “While the majority of healthy, non-elderly adults may have minimal need for an updated vaccine, those who are elderly, immunocompromised, or have significant comorbidities clearly benefit from vaccination,” Dr. David Boulware, an infectious disease professor at the University of Minnesota’s Department of Medicine, told The Epoch Times via email.
“A vaccine that most closely matches the currently circulating virus would be most protective.” U.S.
officials have said the COVID-19 vaccines could be updated annually—or even more frequently—in a system similar to the model used for influenza vaccines. The system is aimed at keeping up with newer variants. The European Medicines Agency also advised updating the shots to target JN.
1. “Adapting vacc.
