There have been two important developments on COVID-19 and vaccines in June. They are the following.
COVID-19 Continues to Evolve
The reason we need to keep on getting new vaccine boosters is that the COVID-19 virus that is spreading now isn’t the same virus that started in 2020, or even the same virus it was at the beginning of 2023. What makes COVID-19 so challenging is that it is a fast-evolving virus.
The bivalent booster that came out in the fall of 2022 was designed to increase immunity against the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants. But according to the CDC variant tracking data (graph pictured above) the BA variants (green) have nearly disappeared from the United States and the XBB variant (blue and pink above) has become the most common COVID-19 strain.
For more on how COVID-19 is changing, as well as an interactive version of the above graph, visit the CDC COVID Data Tracker, Variant Proportions page.
FDA Advisory Panel Recommends XBB Booster
As the current boosters are for COVID-19 variants that are no longer in circulation, an FDA advisory panel is recommending that the fall 2023 booster target XBB and its sub-variants. You can read more about the FDA’s consideration of a new booster in this Reuters news report or you can watch the entire panel meeting and view all their meeting material at the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee June 15, 2023 Meeting page.