The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday authorized bivalent COVID-19 vaccines targeting the Omicron BA.4/5 subvariants developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, asserting that the vaccines, which target the current circulating variant, will be a better match against future mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Moderna’s updated booster will be available to individuals 18 and older, while Pfizer’s is authorized for use in individuals as young as 12 years of age. Both shots are authorized for use as a single dose booster to be given at least two months after an individual received their last booster or primary series shot.
With the authorization of the bivalent boosters, FDA said that the monovalent boosters that were previously available are no longer authorized for the age groups eligible for the bivalent boosters, noting that the monovalent primary series that are authorized or approved will remain available for those who have not yet received them…
