F.D.A. Advisers Recommend a New Covid Vaccine Formula for the Fall

A committee of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration voted on Wednesday to update the formula for the Covid vaccine. This update is part of the annual process to provide better protection against current circulating variants of the virus. The unanimous vote recommends a formula aimed at combatting a specific variant, JN.1, which was dominant in the United States in February. However, in recent weeks, JN.1 has been overtaken by newer variants known as KP.2 and KP.3. The FDA is expected to formally recommend a variant target in the coming weeks for the next round of shots. However, developing a new vaccine formula takes time, so the updated vaccine won’t be available for several months after a variant becomes dominant.