FDA approves new COVID shots from Moderna, Pfizer

State of play: CDC advisers in June recommended that people 6 months of age and older receive updated COVID-19 vaccines when they become available this fall.

• The new vaccine doses are tailored to the KP.2 strain — a descendant of the highly contagious JN.1 variant. The KP variants account for almost 70% of all current cases in the U.S.
• Officials said individuals who receive one of these updated shots may experience similar side effects as those reported by individuals who previously received mRNA COVID vaccines.

What they're saying: With waning immunity from previous exposure to the virus and from prior vaccination, the FDA said it will "strongly encourage" those who are eligible to consider receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine.

• "Vaccination continues to be the cornerstone of COVID-19 prevention," said Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, in a statement.
• "Barring the emergence of a markedly more infectious variant," the FDA said it anticipates the composition of COVID-19 vaccines will need to be assessed annually in the same way seasonal flu vaccines are.