COVID vaccine companies told to focus on KP.2 variant for fall shots, per FDA announcement

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended that COVID vaccine manufacturers update their formulas for fall doses, in an attempt to target the KP.2 strain of the JN.1 variant.

The Thursday announcement came just a week after the agency’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) voted to recommend a "monovalent JN.1-lineage vaccine" at its June 5 meeting.

As of the end of March 2024, the KP.2 variant was responsible for just 4% of infections in the U.S....