US FDA approves updated COVID-19 vaccines for the 2026–2027 season

US FDA approves updated COVID-19 vaccines for the 2026–2027 season

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved updated COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech and Novavax-Sanofi for the 2026–2027 vaccination season.

The updated vaccines have been designed to target the XFG variant, which is currently dominant. In May, an FDA advisory panel also recommended targeting XFG, with eight of nine experts voting in favor of the recommendation.

Four COVID-19 vaccines are currently approved for use in the United States: Moderna’s mNEXSPIKE and Spikevax, Pfizer-BioNTech’s Comirnaty, and the protein-based vaccine from Novavax-Sanofi.

For comparison, for the 2025–2026 season, the FDA recommended that updated COVID-19 vaccines target LP.8.1, a subvariant of the JN.1 strain.

The updated vaccines are intended to help maintain protection against COVID-19 during the upcoming vaccination season.