FDA Urges Drugmakers to Update Covid Booster Shots to Target XBB.1.5 Strain

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it is advising drugmakers to update Covid booster shots to target XBB.1.5, the predominant coronavirus strain in the United States. This announcement comes after the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted unanimously in support of tweaking the shots to target an XBB strain, as well as dropping the original coronavirus strain from the formulation.

The current vaccines still contain the original coronavirus strain, the one that started the pandemic, even though it has been supplanted by mutated versions as the virus rapidly evolves. Vaccine makers said during the meeting that they could have updated vaccines available within months, depending on the strain.

The FDA’s vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks said that while infections have declined, the virus could be a real concern next winter. He also noted that the new vaccines would be more effective against the new variants, and that the FDA would be monitoring the situation closely.

The FDA is encouraging drugmakers to update their vaccines as soon as possible in order to ensure the best protection against the virus. The agency is also working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure that the vaccines are distributed to those who need them.