New COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters Provide Protection Against Omicron Variants

Last week, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially amended the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine emergency use authorization to authorize a single, bivalent booster dose, which is meant to protect against the original strain of COVID-19 and the currently dominant omicron variants. The updated boosters provide protection against both the BA.4 and BA.5 lineages of the omicron variant, which remain the dominant strains causing COVID-19 infection in the US.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommended use of the updated boosters.

The updated Pfizer-BioNTech booster is approved for individuals ages 12 and older, while the updated Moderna booster is approved for individuals 18 and older. All individuals fitting these criteria are eligible to receive the boosters if it has been at least 2 months since they have completed primary vaccination or have received the most recent booster dose. Unlike previous boosters, there is no demographic or health status limitation for receiving the bivalent version currently.

“The COVID-19 vaccines, including boosters, continue to save countless lives and prevent the most serious outcomes (hospitalization and death) of COVID-19,” said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, MD. “As we head into fall and begin to spend more time indoors, we strongly encourage anyone who is eligible to consider receiving a booster dose with a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine to provide better protection against currently circulating variants.”

The same day that the updated boosters were authorized, the FDA held a virtual press conference hosted by Dr. Califf and the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research Director Peter Marks, MD, who discussed the news and took questions.