In response to the increasing prevalence of the XBB.1.5 variant, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has called on drug manufacturers to update their COVID-19 booster shot formulas.
The FDA’s advisory followed a meeting of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, where members identified the need for the update as this new variant accounts for approximately 40% of new cases in the U.S.
The FDA statement advises manufacturers to develop a monovalent XBB.1.5 composition for the vaccines.
Major vaccine providers Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Novavax have already begun the update process, with the aim of having the improved booster shots ready for distribution in September, in line with the new flu vaccine release.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].