grandbrothers Shutterstock
Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech’s updated mRNA Covid-19 vaccines, Comirnaty and Spikevax, have received approval and emergency use authorisation (EUA) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Both vaccines have been specifically formatted to combat the Omicron variant KP.2 strain of SARS-CoV-2 and approved for use in individuals aged 12 and above, as well as EUA use in children aged between six months and 11 years.
The new vaccines aim to provide improved protection against the most severe outcomes of the virus, with the goal of reducing hospitalisations and death rates. However, those who receive the new vaccinations should still expect potential side effects like those seen in previous vaccinations.
Peter Marks, Director of the FDA Centre for Biologics Evaluation and Research said, “These updated vaccines meet the agency’s rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality. Given the 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.”