FDA advisory panel recommends updating fall Covid vaccines to target XFG variant
By
Berkeley Lovelace Jr.
Sesame, salt, and substance. A flagship bake.
Summary
An FDA advisory panel recommended updating fall 2025 Covid-19 vaccines to target the XFG variant ("stratus"), a fast-growing strain. The recommendation aims to help vaccine manufacturers prepare for the seasonal rise in Covid infections during fall and winter. The meeting proceeded as scheduled despite the recent resignation of FDA Commissioner Marty Makary.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledA Food and Drug Administration advisory panel on Thursday recommended updating this fall's Covid shots to target the XFG variant, a fast-growing strain nicknamed 'stratus.'
The recommendation — from the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee — is meant to help vaccine makers prepare shots for the fall and winter, when Covid infections typically rise.
Thursday's meeting was the agency's first since FDA Commissioner Marty Makary resigned.
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