The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Pfizer and Moderna’s updated COVID-19 vaccines amid a summer surge and ahead of an expected winter spike.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday approved Pfizer and Moderna’s updated COVID-19 vaccines amid a summer wave of “very high” coronavirus levels in wastewater, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The approval allows the pharmaceutical giants to begin shipping out millions of doses that “more closely target currently circulating variants”, according to the FDA, including the KP.2 strain.
“Shipping will begin immediately to ensure robust supply and rapid access of this season’s vaccine in pharmacies, hospitals, and clinics across the country”, a spokesperson for Pfizer told Newsweek in an email.
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Moderna said in a news release that the “approval is timely, as COVID-19 remains a significant health risk and is the leading cause of respiratory illness-related hospitalization, regardless of age or health condition.” It noted that the updated vaccines should appear in “pharmacies and care settings in the coming days.”
An FDA press officer told Newsweek that the “FDA approves or authorizes a product when FDA’s standards have been met”, and noted that the agency “will review any additional COVID-19 vaccine applications submitted to the agency and take appropriate regulatory action”, on an ongoing basis.
