The FDA authorized bivalent formulations of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines for use as a single booster dose at least two months after completing primary or booster vaccination.
The Biden administration is preparing to distribute the updated booster shots to teenagers and adults as part of its fall booster campaign. Both Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna bivalent vaccines target the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariant, in addition to the original coronavirus strain in a single shot. Ninety percent of all new COVID cases in the United States are caused by BA.5, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).