The Food and Drug Administration authorized reformulated versions of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines that aim to protect against the omicron variant.
The new shots target both the original strain of the coronavirus and the omicron BA.4/BA.5 subvariants that most people are catching now. This new vaccine is called a bivalent vaccine.
The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is authorized for use as a single booster dose in people 18 and older.
The Pfizer-BioNTech booster is authorized for people 12 years and up. People are eligible for the new boosters two months after completing their initial vaccination or their last booster shot.
The federal government plans to make the boosters available starting next week. Public health officials hope they will help contain a possible fall and winter surge.
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