U.S. FDA authorizes Pfizer, Moderna updated COVID-19 boosters targeting Omicron

Special: Battle Against Novel Coronavirus

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday authorized updated COVID-19 vaccine booster shots from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech that target Omicron subvariants.

The updated boosters contain two messenger RNA (mRNA) components of SARS-CoV-2 virus, one of the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 and the other one in common between the BA.4 and BA.5 lineages of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, according to the FDA.

The Moderna updated booster is authorized for use as a single booster dose in individuals 18 years of age and older. The Pfizer-BioNTech booster is authorized for use as a single booster dose in individuals 12 years of age and older, according to the FDA.

It is the first time the FDA has authorized an updated vaccine formula since the original COVID-19 shots rolled out in the country in December 2020.