FDA approves updated Covid-19 vaccines for dominant XFG variant

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved updated Covid-19 vaccines from Moderna, Novavax-Sanofi, and Pfizer-BioNTech. These vaccines target the dominant XFG variant and can now be shipped to pharmacies and doctors' offices across the country. According to Investing.com, the updated vaccines contain the JN.1-lineage XFG subvariant of SARS-CoV-2.

The vaccines are approved for individuals 65 and older, and for younger individuals with underlying conditions that put them at greater risk of negative outcomes from a Covid infection. The age approvals vary by manufacturer: Moderna's shot is approved for children older than six months, Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine for those age five and older, and Novavax-Sanofi's for 12 and up, as per The Guardian US.

The approval allows manufacturers to begin shipping doses, but there is confusion about insurance coverage. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the immunizations "based on individual-based decision making". Moderna stated that the updated vaccines are expected to be available in the coming days, and that their 2026-2027 formula for Spikevax has received approval from regulators in several countries.

Brief written by urgent.news from Guardian Health, The Guardian US, The Hill, Investing.com — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.