The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is weighing whether to update the COVID-19 vaccine in the fall. The FDA Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will meet this week and consider whether the inoculation should be updated to target XFG variants.
“Recommendations for updating the strain composition of COVID-19 vaccines must consider the time needed for manufacturers to implement and deliver an updated COVID-19 vaccine formula,” briefing notes obtained by The Hill read. “The timelines likely differ for different manufacturing technologies and are also affected by manufacturing experience and the availability and capacity of manufacturing facilities. All licensed manufacturers have indicated that they are prepared to produce an XFG vaccine for COVID-19 vaccines (2026–2027 Formula).”
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) advisory group on COVID-19 vaccines said in a May 16 report that “LP.8.1 as a vaccine antigen in populations with high levels of prior infection and / or vaccination continues to induce broadly cross-reactive immune responses to circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants.” It added that “other antigens (e.g. XFG, NB.1.8.1) or other approaches that demonstrate broad and robust neutralizing antibody responses or efficacy against currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants could also be used.”
The FDA previously investigated if COVID-19 vaccines are linked to adult deaths. The investigation came as FDA Chief Medical Officer and Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research Director Vinay Prasad wrote in a memo to staff that “at least 10 children have died after and because of receiving COVID-19 vaccination. These deaths are related to vaccination (likely/probable/possible attribution made by staff). That number is certainly an underestimate due to underreporting, and inherent bias in attribution.”
