covid vaccine booster update

[redbird]

Update on Covid booster vaccines for this coming fall, in the US and probably Canada:

On Thursday, the FDA changed its recommendation to COVID vaccine manufacturers telling them to use KP.2 for the Fall 2024 vaccine formulas instead of JN.1 if possible. This makes a lot of sense since KP.2 [JN.1 + F456L + R346T mutations] is expected to protect better against all of the newer variants that contain F456L mutations. Basing the vaccines on an older variant (JN.1) would not be expected to protect against the newer variants as well. Moderna and Pfizer will be able to change their vaccine formula to use the KP.2 antigen because of the agility of mRNA vaccines.

Novavax will supply JN.1 protein-based vaccines because those take at least 6 months to make. Novavax put out a statement that they hope to have their JN.1 COVID vaccine available in pre-filled syringes for US distribution by mid-July. They also stated that in non-human primates, their JN.1 vaccine provided good protection against KP.2 and KP.3 in animals that had received the XBB.1.5 vaccine previously.

(Copied from Ruth Ann Crystal's Covid News and More newsletter)

Comments

[joseph_teller]

As a side note, I have heard recently that Moderna is working (as in stage 3 trials) on a combined Covid Booster & Flu Shot. They are currently running an 8,000 person adult random trial (no info as to where, but the piece I saw on it was in an Australian Science publication).

This could still be some time down the line if it eventually gets approval, but good to know that its being worked on.