FDA approves Moderna's new lower-dose COVID-19 vaccine
FILE - In this photo illustration, Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 (L) and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines fill their syringes at Borinquen Health Care Center on May 29, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo illustration by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The Food and Drug Administration approved Moderna’s new lower-dose COVID-19 vaccine over the weekend.
The FDA stressed that this is not considered a replacement for the company’s existing shot but can be considered as a second option.
mNexspike
Dig deeper:
Moderna’s new COVID-19 vaccine, named mNexspike, is a fifth of the dose of its current COVID-19 vaccine, Spikevax.
It is considered a step toward next-generation coronavirus vaccines.
mNexspike is approved for use in all adults 65 and older and for people aged 12 to 64 with at least one health condition that puts them at increased risk from COVID-19.
Why you should care:
Moderna’s existing vaccine doesn’t face those limits and has long been used for anyone ages 6 months and older.
What's next:
The company said it expected to offer both options this fall.
COVID-19 today
COVID-19 cases are rising again as a new variant (NB.1.8.1.) begins to circulate in some parts of the world. The World Health Organization said Wednesday the rise in cases is primarily in the eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and western Pacific regions.
Big picture view:
Airport screening in the United States has detected NB.1.8.1. in travelers arriving from those regions to destinations in California, Washington state, Virginia and New York.
The backstory Last week, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that COVID-19 shots are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women — a move immediately questioned by several public health experts.
The new variant, increasing globally, had by mid-May reached nearly 11% of sequenced samples reported. The WHO has designated it a "variant under monitoring" and considers the public health risk low at the global level with current vaccines expected to remain effective.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press and previous reporting by FOX Local. This story was reported from Los Angeles.