Summary:
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a shift in its COVID-19 vaccine policy, allowing for the development of updated vaccines that target the latest Omicron subvariants.
- This change will enable vaccine manufacturers to create bivalent boosters that combine the original COVID-19 strain with the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, providing broader protection against the virus.
- The updated boosters are expected to be available in the fall, providing an opportunity for people to receive a more effective vaccine against the currently dominant Omicron subvariants.