UPDATEOn June 13,the FDA changed its decisionbased on increasing COVID cases nationwide. The agency says vaccine manufacturers should target the KP.2 subvariant in their updated shots if possible.

UPDATE

On June 13,the FDA changed its decisionbased on increasing COVID cases nationwide. The agency says vaccine manufacturers should target the KP.2 subvariant in their updated shots if possible.

Key TakeawaysThe FDA has advised manufacturers to update COVID-19 vaccines to target the JN.1 variant.KP.2 and KP.3, offshoots of JN.1, are now the dominant variants in circulation.If the FDA signs off on the decision and the CDC makes a recommendation, the booster shot will be available in the fall.

Key Takeaways

The FDA has advised manufacturers to update COVID-19 vaccines to target the JN.1 variant.KP.2 and KP.3, offshoots of JN.1, are now the dominant variants in circulation.If the FDA signs off on the decision and the CDC makes a recommendation, the booster shot will be available in the fall.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday announced that it has advised manufacturers to update COVID-19 vaccines to target the JN.1 variant, the main driver of COVID cases earlier this year.

Offshoots of JN.1, known asFLiRT variants, have since taken over as the dominant strains in circulation.

It’s common practice to update vaccines for a mutating virus, according to Katelyn Jetelina, MPH, PhD, an epidemiologist and a consultant at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The influenza vaccine, for instance, is updated annually.

Jetelina said that people may be more susceptible to COVID because the existingmonovalent boosteronly targets XBB.1.5, an Omicron subvariant that’s no longer in circulation.

Variants KP.2 and KP.3, referred to as FLiRT variants because of specific mutations on their spike proteins, now account for more than 47% of new cases.

“These variants are descendants of the JN.1 variant, so we expect a vaccine targeted at JN.1 to offer protection against the FLiRT variants as well,” saidAndrew Pekosz, PhD, a professor of molecular biology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Vaccine manufacturers, including Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax, have already been working on a JN.1 booster vaccine.

A non-mRNA vaccine option is important for the fall rollout, Jetelina said, especially since some people are wary of the newness of mRNA technology. Plus, unlike the mRNA vaccines, the Novavax vaccine does not include an ingredient calledPEG, which a small number of people are allergic to.

To get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible for a fall/winter COVID wave, it would be advantageous to have a Novavax vaccine in tandem with options from Pfizer and Moderna, according to Harish Moorjani, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Phelps Hospital in Sleepy Hollow, NY.

Still, he said any of the three vaccine brands would be a good option.

“The vaccine is based in science, protects against severe disease, may protect against long COVID,” Moorjani said. “Why wouldn’t you take it?”

What This Means For You

The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.

Correction - June 10, 2024: A previous version of this article misstated Dr. Harish Moorjani’s current hospital affiliation.

1 SourceVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.COVID data tracker - variant proportions.

1 Source

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.COVID data tracker - variant proportions.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.COVID data tracker - variant proportions.

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