The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized updated COVID-19 booster shots from Pfizer and Moderna that target the dominant BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants, as the government prepares for a fall vaccination campaign that could begin in a few days.
Both vaccines also include the original version of the virus targeted by all the previous COVID shots.
The FDA authorized the shots for everyone over aged 12 who has had a primary vaccination series and is at least two months out from a previous booster shot, shorter than prior recommended intervals.
“As we head into fall and begin to spend more time indoors, we strongly encourage anyone who is eligible to consider receiving a booster dose with a (duel targeted) COVID-19 vaccine to provide better protection against currently circulating variants,” FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said in a statement.