FDA Eyes Shift to Annual COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy with Shots in Fall 2023

The Food and Drug Administration wants updated COVID-19 booster shots to be offered once a year for most Americans and to follow a schedule similar to the flu vaccine, according to documents the agency posted on Monday.

The agency is proposing that its committee of outside vaccine experts discuss the consideration of periodic updates to COVID-19 vaccine composition, including to the currently authorized or approved vaccines to be available for use in the U.S. in the fall of 2023 during its meeting on Thursday.

Review of the totality of the available evidence on prior exposure to and vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 suggests that, moving forward, most individuals may only need to receive one dose of an approved or authorized COVID-19 vaccine to restore protective immunity for a period of time, the agency said in the documents. The FDA is proposing two shots a year for certain young children as well as older and immunocompromised Americans.