COVID Vaccine Strain Changes Could Be Made By US FDA Ahead Of WHO Recommendation

 
• By Brenda Sandburg

Influenza vaccine strain change process could provide framework to update composition of COVID-19 vaccines, agency says. Advisory committee to discuss when changes could be supported by manufacturing information alone, and timing and populations for use of additional boosters.

Vaccine strain
FDA hones in on process to change COVID-19 vaccine composition • Source: Alamy

Making changes to the composition of authorized COVID-19 vaccines could be modeled on the process for annual updates to seasonal influenza vaccines, the US Food and Drug Administration suggests. But while the agency follows the lead of the World Health Organization in deciding strain composition for flu vaccines, it anticipates situations where it could make changes to COVID-19 vaccines prior to a WHO recommendation.

The FDA discusses considerations for updating COVID-19 vaccines and the role of the agency and its Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee in deciding strain

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