The United States Food and Drug Administration approved on Thursday the emergency use of ModernaTX Inc. and Pfizer Inc.'s mRNA COVID-19 vaccines with updated formulations.
The jabs target a strain called KP.2, a descendant of the highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 omicron subvariant JN.1, offering enhanced protection against severe outcomes such as hospitalization and death. The shots should be available in pharmacies "within days."
"The updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccines include Comirnaty and Spikevax, both of which are approved for individuals 12 years of age and older, and the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, both of which are authorized for emergency use for individuals 6 months through 11 years of age," the regulator said.
