Key Takeaways
TheFood and Drug Administration approvednew COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna today.
The reformulated vaccines were designed to better protect against currently circulating variants.
Thenew shots were designed to target Omicron XBB.1.5.
Morsa Images / Getty Images.
BA.2.86, nicknamed Pirola, contains more than 30 mutations.
How Well Will the New Shots Work?
There was also an 11-fold increase in antibodies that can neutralize EG.5.1.
The FDA did not authorize the new Novavax formulation in its Monday announcement.
TheWorld Health Organization (WHO)hasnt yet named BA.2.86 as a variant of concern.
With the CDC signing off, shots from Moderna and Pfizer could soon be available.
For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.
Harris E.Cdc assesses risk from ba.
86, highly mutated covid-19 variant.JAMA.
Published online August 30, 2023. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.16105
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Update on SARS CoV-2 Variant BA.2.86.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.COVID Data Tracker: Variant Proportions.
Chalkias S, McGhee N, Whatley JL, et al.Safety and Immunogenicity of XBB.1.5-Containing mRNA Vaccines.medRxiv.2023.
doi:10.1101/2023.08.22.23293434v2
Yang S, Yu Y, Jian F, et al.Antigenicity and infectivity characterization of SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.86.bioRxiv.
