The Food and Drug Administration on Monday said vaccine makers that want to modify their coronavirus vaccines to deal with variants can skip large clinical trials designed to test their shots’ effectiveness. FDA officials said the goal was to spell out procedures under which companies can modify their products to outflank potential variants and quickly gain FDA clearance. Studies have shown that the existing vaccines appear effective against the variant first detected in the United Kingdom, which may become dominant in the United States in March or April. Another variant, first detected in South Africa, appears to diminish the effectiveness of the vaccines, but scientists say they still may offer adequate protection. Manufacturers of those vaccines, as well as others in late-stage trials, say they are preparing booster shots or other strategies to deal with the variant first found in South Africa or others.

Source: Washington Post February 22, 2021 07:00 UTC