COVID-19 Boosters Targeting Omicron Authorized By FDA

WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized the rollout of COVID-19 booster doses designed to target the omicron subvariant, according to an announcement by the agency. The move also means updated booster doses could be available within days.

Until now, booster doses have targeted the original coronavirus strain. The new booster dose will tweak the existing vaccine produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna to take aim at the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron subvariants, both of which are dominant in the United States.

The new boosters are combination — or "bivalent" — shots. This means the doses contain half the original vaccine and half the new formula targeting omicron.

According to the FDA, the updated Moderna booster will be available to people 18 years and older, while the Pfizer booster is authorized for use in those 12 years and older. The updated shots will be open to anyone who already had their primary vaccinations at least two months before receiving the booster dose.

Before the booster doses can be available to the public, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must recommend who should get the additional shot. An advisory panel is expected to review the evidence and make a decision Thursday, according to The Associated Press.

Officials hope the updated booster dose will help curb another fall and winter infection surge.

"The COVID-19 vaccines, including boosters, continue to save countless lives and prevent the most serious outcomes of COVID-19," FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said in a statement. "As we head into fall and begin to spend more time indoors, we strongly encourage anyone who is eligible to consider receiving a booster dose with a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine to provide better protection against currently circulating variants."

The United States has purchased more than 170 million doses from the two companies. Pfizer said it could ship up to 15 million doses by the end of next week.

The big question is whether people will roll up their sleeves to receive the new dose. Half of vaccinated Americans got the first recommended booster dose, and only a third of those 50 and older who were urged to get a second booster did so.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.