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.
