Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE asked the U.S. to authorize a new COVID-19 booster shot customized against the currently circulating COVID-19 variants as governments race to protect their populations against the ever-mutating virus.
In a statement, the companies said they had “rapidly scaled production” for the new booster and would be able to ship doses of the new vaccine “immediately” upon emergency authorization. The new shot contains mRNA for the original COVID-19 spike protein, as well as mRNA for the BA.4/BA.5 subvariants of omicron. Currently BA.5, a newer evolution of omicron, is by far the dominant variant circulating in the U.S.
Pfizer’s new booster that’s up for authorization in the U.S. hasn’t yet been tested in people in a clinical trial, though the company said it will start this month. It’s all part of a push to use mRNA technology, which allows for faster drug development, to respond more quickly to changes in the virus and better guard against future COVID-19 surges. The virus has mutated so quickly, it has been hard for government and drug companies to keep up.
