The U.S. approved updated COVID-19 vaccines Monday, hoping to rev up protection against the latest coronavirus strains and blunt any surge this fall and winter.

The Food and Drug Administration decision opens the newest shots from Moderna and Pfizer and its partner BioNTech to most Americans even if they’ve never had a coronavirus vaccination. It’s part of a shift to treat fall updates of the COVID-19 vaccine much like getting a yearly flu shot.

There’s still another step: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must sign off. A CDC advisory panel is set to issue recommendations Tuesday on who most needs the updated shots. Vaccinations could begin later this week, and both the COVID-19 and flu shot can be given at the same visit.

  • just_change_it@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Just in time for the pharma companies to make $130/dose or whatever insane number they have decided to make up in the USA. It’s never been better to be an investor in businesses making vaccines.

    Billions in public grants for research and then we get to pay for the results for something that benefits the greater good, again. You’d think when you need x billion doses the price wouldn’t be 130 x billions, but instead $1.25 x billions.