The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved updated Covid shots, clearing the way for them to be availabe in the coming days.
The vaccines by Moderna and Pfizer have been updated to more closely target current variants and provide better protection against serious consequences, including including hospitalization and death, the FDA said in a press release.
The vaccines are authorized for adults and kids 6 months ane older.
“Vaccination continues to be the cornerstone of COVID-19 prevention,” said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, in a statement. “These updated vaccines meet the agency’s rigorous, scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality.
"Given waning immunity of the population from previous exposure to the virus and from prior vaccination, we strongly encourage those who are eligible to consider receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine to provide better protection against currently circulating variants.”
Barring the emergence of a markedly more infectious variant, the FDA said it anticipates the composition of the vaccines will be assessed annually.
