US Clears Updated Vaccine Targeting New COVID Versions

The United States on Wednesday approved an updated COVID-19 vaccine¹ to target the Omicron version of the virus.

Injections could be available within days.

The Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, approved the new shots made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. Officials credit the two vaccines² with saving millions of lives. And the agency says it hopes that the new shot will prevent another increase in infections this winter.

"You'll see me at the front of the line," FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks told The Associated Press shortly before his agency approved the new vaccines.

Until now, COVID-19 vaccines had targeted the earliest version of the coronavirus. Since then, several versions, or variants³, have appeared. The new shots are called "bivalent." They are designed to protect against both the earliest and newer versions of Omicron called BA.4 and BA.5. These two are considered the most contagious⁴.

"It really provides the broadest opportunity for protection," Pfizer vaccine chief Annaliesa Anderson told the AP.

The updated shots, called boosters, are for people who have already received the earlier vaccine. The FDA said the shots are not to be used as a first vaccination⁵. And they should be given at least two months after people receive the last shot of the earlier vaccine version. The updated shots from Pfizer-BioNTech may be given to anyone 12 years old and older. The ones from Moderna are for adults.

The U.S. has purchased more than 170 million treatments from the two companies. Pfizer said it could ship up to 15 million of the vaccines by the end of next week.

Before the vaccination campaign begins, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will meet Thursday. Agency leaders are to decide whether people at high risk from COVID-19 should receive the updated shots first.

U.S. health officials have urged Americans to receive a three-shot vaccination against COVID-19. So far, only half of vaccinated⁶ Americans have gotten the third shot. And only a third of those 50 and older have received an extra fourth shot.

The earliest vaccines still offer strong protection against severe disease and death from COVID-19 for generally healthy people. It is unclear whether some Americans will take the updated shots at all.

E. John Wherry is an immunologist at the University of Pennsylvania. He said health officials should explain to the public that getting the updated COVID-19 shot is just like getting the yearly flu shot. Wherry said, "Give a clear, forward-looking set of expectations."

The FDA's approval of the updated vaccines is the first step toward dealing⁷ with COVID-19 vaccine updates like yearly flu shots. The agency ordered vaccine makers⁸ to make changes and to target the latest Omicron versions. The FDA did not wait for additional tests on humans. Marks said animal tests showed the latest update brought "a very good immune response."

Even as the updated shots are being produced, Moderna and Pfizer are still conducting studies. They are studying the vaccine's effectiveness and whether it protects against new versions. Pfizer plans to ask the FDA to permit updated shots for five- to 11-year-olds in early October.

The U.S. is not the only country with plans to update COVID-19 vaccines. Britain recently decided⁹ to offer adults over 50 a different booster from Moderna. It is ‘bivalent" and targets the earlier BA.1 version of Omicron. European health officials are considering whether to approve one or both updated vaccines.

Words in This Story

contagious –adj. able to spread easily from one person or one animal to another

opportunity –n. a situation or set of conditions in which something ban be done

1 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

2 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

3 variants   

n.变体( variant的名词复数 )；变种；变型；（词等的）变体

参考例句：

• Those variants will be preserved in the'struggle for existence". 这些变异将在“生存竞争”中被保留下来。 来自辞典例句
• Like organisms, viruses have variants, generally called strains. 与其他生物一样，病毒也有变种，一般称之为株系。 来自辞典例句

4 contagious   

adj.传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
• He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。

5 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

6 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

7 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

8 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。