On Thursday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted authorization for updated COVID‑19 vaccines, enabling manufacturers to start distributing doses to pharmacies and clinicians nationwide.
The agency cleared the updated formulations from Moderna, Novavax‑Sanofi, and Pfizer‑BioNTech, the companies announced Thursday, following a recommendation by an advisory panel that the vaccines be directed against the prevailing XFG variant.
All three manufacturers had previously indicated they could have the updated doses ready for the 2026‑27 immunization season.
The vaccines are authorized for people aged 65 and older, as well as for younger individuals with underlying health conditions that increase their risk of severe COVID‑19 outcomes. (For those younger recipients with qualifying conditions, age eligibility differs by product: Moderna’s vaccine is cleared for children over six months, Pfizer‑BioNTech’s for ages five and up, and Novavax‑Sanofi’s for those 12 years and older.)
Last autumn, the Trump administration shifted away from a universal COVID‑19 vaccination recommendation, creating uncertainty about eligibility. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now states that it advises vaccinations on an individual‑based decision‑making basis.
It remains uncertain whether or when the administration will release updated guidance for the 2026‑27 immunization season, given that the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel has been stalled since a March decision prevented Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from appointing a new slate of advisors.
The lack of an active CDC vaccine panel also raises questions about insurance coverage for the updated shots. While insurers generally must cover vaccines endorsed by the panel, it is unclear how they will proceed in the absence of such a recommendation.
CDC dashboards indicate that current COVID‑19 activity, as measured by testing and wastewater surveillance, remains low but has begun to rise in recent weeks.
Reuters contributed reporting
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