New COVID-19 vaccine for fall should target JN.1 lineage, not variant, FDA panel

A panel of health experts convened this week to decide which vaccine the U.S. should use against COVID-19 this fall.

The federal advisory group decided on Wednesday the new vaccine should focus on the JN.1 lineage that has dominated virus strains in recommendations.

The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee – composed of leading U.S. health experts – gathered virtually to recommend a new vaccine to supplement protection against COVID-19, which weakens over time. Current vaccines built to fight XBB.1.5 also don’t provide as much protection against JN.1 and several sub-variants driving cases for months, officials and vaccine makers said during the hourslong meeting.

The 16-member panel, which gathered four previous times since 2022, unanimously voted for a shot that would target the JN.1 lineage. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to use the committee’s recommendations to develop vaccines for the next year. The recommendations follow a recent assessment by the World Health Organization that vaccines should use a “monovalent JN.1 lineage” for vaccines.

Bridge Access Program: Free COVID-19 vaccines could be a thing of the past. Experts weigh in.

The panelists considered several JN.1 sub-variants. The sub-variants KP.2 and KP.3, which are very similar to JN.1, have been driving new cases, according to federal tracking estimates. Officials noted that COVID-19 is rapidly evolving. The goal of the group was to capture the virus’ changes ahead of expected upticks in cases later this year.

Vaccine manufacturers Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax each told the panel they were prepared to make JN.1-targeted vaccines available in August pending FDA approval.

Late in 2023, JN.1 overtook the XBB lineage that formed last year’s vaccines. Officials said JN.1 infections were no more severe than XBB cases. This was distinct from the severity when cases jumped from delta to omicron variants that drove cases, hospitalizations and deaths globally in 2021.

Last year’s vaccine offered increased protection against COVID-19 to people who got the vaccine, officials said. It terms of protection by lineage, last year’s vaccine for XBB.1.5 gave protection against the JN.1 lineage, however, it likely wasn’t as effective compared to other XBB lineage sub-variants.

COVID-19 sub-variants: There's a new COVID-19 variant called FLiRT: Here's what you need to know about it

Updated vaccines are set to be released in the fall, ahead of expected winter upticks in COVID-19 cases. The vote comes as the U.S., like the rest of the world, is seeing a decline in the vaccination rate against COVID-19.

The CDC has recommended that adults 65 and older and people who are immunocompromised get a booster of the updated COVID-19 vaccine as soon as its available. On Wednesday, the panel didn’t say whether older people would need boosters. The recommendations also coincide with the CDC's free vaccine program, launched less than a year ago, anticipated end in August – right around the time manufacturers said they can make the new shots available.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: COVID-19 vaccine should target JN.1 lineage, FDA panel says