Q&A on the 2024-2025 COVID-19 Vaccines

Este artículo estará disponible en español en El Tiempo Latino. Updated COVID-19 vaccines targeting JN.1-lineage omicron variants of the coronavirus are now available in the U.S. for the fall and winter seasons. On Aug. 22, the Food and Drug Administration& approved and authorized& newer formulations of the two mRNA vaccines, from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, for ages 6 months and up. About a week later, the agency& authorized& an updated version of Novavax’s protein subunit vaccine for people 12 years and older. The mRNA vaccines specifically target KP.2, a subvariant of JN.1, while the Novavax vaccine targets JN.1. Following a vaccine advisory committee& meeting& in late June, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention& recommended& that everyone 6 months and older receive an updated vaccine during the fall and winter virus season. This marks the third year that vaccine manufacturers have updated their COVID-19 vaccine formulations to better match circulating variants. The older versions of the vaccines are no longer available. Here we answer common questions about the latest vaccines. How are these updated shots different from last year’s? Who is eligible to get an updated vaccine? What evidence supports the use of the updated vaccines? How effective are they? How...