CNBC It’s that time of the year again. A new round of Covid shots is on its way to Americans.
The Food and Drug Administration last week approved updated mRNA-based vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna amid a relatively large summer surge of the virus. Here’s what you need to know, including how the shots are different this time around, who is eligible, where to get a vaccine and more.
What makes these shots different?
U.S. health officials have long told patients to expect annual updates to Covid shots as the virus mutates into new strains that can dodge the immunity people develop from previous vaccinations or infections. It’s similar to how the U.S. rolls out new flu shots each year.
This time, the shots from Pfizer and Moderna are designed to target a strain called KP.2, a descendant of the highly contagious omicron subvariant JN.1 that began circulating widely in the U.S. earlier this year.
KP.2 was the dominant strain of the virus in May, but now only accounts for roughly 3% of all U.S. cases as of Aug. 17, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.