SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – On Monday, Pfizer announced it has asked the FDA to authorize an updated omicron-targeting COVID-19 vaccine, which is expected to be ready for distribution this fall.
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Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean for Regional Campuses at UCSF, told KCBS Radio's Melissa Culross on "Ask An Expert" the shot should be authorized by mid-September.
"The reason why it's not long in this case is because they don't need a lot of data anymore," he explained. "I think we're moving to a flu shot model where if we show that it's pretty much giving a signal in mice — so an animal model — we don't need to do big clinical trials anymore because it's the same vaccine, just a different signal."
If Chin-Hong is correct and authorization comes by mid-September, people in the United States can expect the shot to be available a few days to a week after the FDA gives the stamp of approval. "Everybodies expecting it to be authorized so they've already started making these vaccines," he said.
Moderna also has an omicron-targeting COVID-19 vaccine in the works, which should be available around the same time. "Moderna already had it approved for the BA.1 version, not BA.4 or BA.5, in the UK and that happened last week. They're very well poised to submit their paperwork as well," Chin-Hong explained.
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