The United Kingdom on Monday became the first country to authorize a reformulated COVID-19 vaccine that targets the original strain of the coronavirus and its omicron variant.
The shots from Moderna will be rolled out in the coming weeks as part of a fall booster campaign ahead of the winter when the virus typically flourishes.
Regulators around the world are working with drugmakers to ensure they have a targeted vaccine for the coronavirus, which has mutated to some degree and can evade existing immune defenses.
“The first generation of COVID-19 vaccines being used in the U.