Key Takeaways
- Four updated COVID-19 vaccines are available for the 2026–2027 season, all targeting the JN.1-lineage XFG variant.
- Eligibility varies by vaccine, with all four approved for adults 65 and older and certain younger people with underlying conditions.
- The updated vaccines are already available at some pharmacies, but CDC recommendations for the fall season are still pending.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved four updated versions of the COVID-19 vaccine for the 2026-2027 season.1 The approval includes two vaccines from Moderna, one from Novavax-Sanofi, and one from Pfizer-BioNTech—all of which target the circulating JN.1 lineage XFG variant.2
Who’s Eligible for an Updated COVID Vaccine?
Eligibility varies slightly by each vaccine option:
- Pfizer-BioNTech’s Comirnaty is approved for adults 65 and older, and people ages 5 and older who have an underlying condition that puts them at a high risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19.3
- Moderna offers two updated vaccines: Spikevax and mNEXSPIKE. Both are approved for adults 65 and over.45 Spikevax is also approved for people ages 6 months and older with an underlying condition, while mNEXSPIKE is approved for people ages 12 and older with an underlying condition.
- Nuvaxovid, made by Novavax, is approved for adults 65 and older and people ages 12 and older with an underlying condition.6
Spikevax, mNEXSPIKE, and Comirnaty are mRNA vaccines, which give cells instructions to produce protective antibodies. Nuvaxovid is a protein-based vaccine that contains particles of the virus that trigger an immune response.
The four vaccines were updated after the XFG variant was detected in early 2025.7 Symptoms of the illness are similar to past Omicron strains, including sore throat, cough, nasal congestion, fatigue, and headache. Loss of smell or taste is relatively rare.7
Vaccine availability and eligibility may also vary based on state regulations.8 Those rules could affect whether children and younger adults without an underlying condition can receive a COVID-19 vaccine, said Donald Dumford, MD, an infectious disease specialist at the Cleveland Clinic.
How Well Will the Vaccines Work?
Dumford said it’s too soon to know how effective the updated vaccines will be because they haven’t been widely administered in the U.S. yet. He expects the vaccine platforms to be very responsive and recommends vaccination to anyone who is eligible, particularly those over 65 and young people with weakened immune systems.
“When we’re talking about respiratory viruses being effective, it means that we’ve got a reduction in the likelihood of getting infected,” he said. “Then what’s particularly important for our older population and vulnerable populations is having a reduction in the likelihood of severe disease and hospitalization.”
“The other good thing about the vaccine is we know that vaccination will cut down on those long COVID symptoms,” he added. “Even if you get COVID-19 after getting the vaccine, it’s going to be a situation where it could be limited to a mild cold.”
Previous vaccines have been effective. The 2023–2024 COVID-19 vaccines reduced the risk of critical illness by 70% in adults aged 18 and over in the first two months after vaccination, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).9
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What Side Effects Can You Expect?
Previous COVID-19 vaccines have been associated with side effects such as injection-site pain, fatigue, and headache.10 These reactions are typically mild to moderate and often resolve on their own.
“Those first couple of days after vaccination, you could expect a small headache, light fever, and maybe some chills or body aches,” Dumford said.
Will Insurance Cover the Updated COVID-19 Vaccine?
The updated COVID-19 vaccines are already available in some pharmacies. CVS Pharmacy, for example, said that patients can get the vaccine at select pharmacies at no cost with most insurance plans.11 Some plans may have exceptions.
Despite the COVID-19 vaccines’ receiving FDA approval, the CDC has not yet issued updated vaccine recommendations for the upcoming fall season. Some insurance can base vaccination coverage on whether the shot is recommended by the CDC advisory panel and then green-lighted by the CDC director.12
Meanwhile, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recommended the 2026–2027 COVID-19 vaccine for all infants ages 6–23 months who do not have contraindications, as well as children and adolescents ages 2–18 who are at increased risk of severe COVID-19. Those who are not at increased risk should still be offered the vaccine if their parent or guardian wants them protected against COVID-19.13
