A new, fourth round of COVID-19 booster shots was approved Tuesday, following the recommendation of federal health agencies, which will make the vaccines available to Americans later this week. On Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) signed off on the vaccines designed by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) followed suit this afternoon, with CDC director Mandy Cohen recommending updated vaccination for "everyone 6 months and older to better protect you and your loved ones."
The vaccines are designed with mRNA technology that produces immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Although the virus has gone through dozens of mutations over the years, some giving it a more infectious advantage over its ancestors, the vaccines are predicted to work against the strains that are currently spreading, especially those in the XBB family. This includes dominating variants like EG.5 (nicknamed Eris) and FL.1.5.1 (nicknamed Fornax.)
