FDA proposes switching to annual coronavirus vaccine, mimicking flu model

The FDA in briefing documents released Monday for a meeting this week with its vaccine advisers, said evidence suggests that “moving forward, most individuals may only need to receive one dose” of a coronavirus vaccine “to restore protective immunity for a period of time.” The change in strategy will be one of the topics discussed at the meeting, scheduled for Thursday.

The proposed change is designed to reduce the complexity of the vaccine regimen for the public, doctors and manufacturers. It also reflects a view that “chasing variants” with ever-changing booster formulations is ultimately futile, in part because the public has little interest in getting repeated injections, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about it.

The FDA would choose the annual strain for the shots every June, in time for the updated shots to be manufactured and then administered in September, as part of a yearly inoculation campaign.

The FDA, according to the document, also is seeking to retire the original vaccine formula that entered the market in late 2020 — the monovalent that focuses on the original virus.

The fact that many Americans have been infected with the virus should provide additional protection, scientists say.

The FDA has been criticized by some, including members of its vaccine advisory committee, for pushing for broad use of variant-specific boosters to stave off covid

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