The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the newly formulated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. Unlike booster shots released in the past, this vaccine is not made with ingredients from the original coronavirus variant that spread in 2020. According to the New York Times, it is a monovalent vaccine against omicron subvariants, as recommended by the FDA in June.

The new vaccine specifically targets the omicron variant XBB.1.5, which became the dominant new coronavirus strain in some areas of the United States last winter and is more closely related to EG.5, which currently accounts for 21.5% of cases, according to CDC data.

Chart showing the prevalence of new coronavirus variants based on CDC data reported through August and estimated through September.

The National SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Surveillance Program sequences a nationally representative collection of clinical respiratory specimens to identify and monitor the spread of variants. Image: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

While the FDA has approved the vaccine for people 12 years and older, it has authorized emergency use of the vaccine for children 6 months to 11 years old. After this update, the previous boosters from Moderna and Pfizer are no longer authorized for use in the United States.

The FDA noted that the newer vaccines are "expected to provide good protection against COVID-19 against currently circulating variants," adding that the vaccine's "composition" may need to be updated annually, similar to what we see with flu vaccines.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is scheduled to discuss vaccine recommendations on Tuesday. If the CDC issues recommendations tomorrow, a vaccine could be available to the public by the end of the week.