Amid waning public interest in the shots, Big Pharma giant Moderna secured Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for yet another COVID-19 vaccine.
Despite the approval, the new low-dose vaccine comes with significant restrictions on who can actually receive it.
Called mNexspike, the new vaccine is limited to adults 65 and older or individuals aged 12 to 64 with underlying health conditions that increase their COVID risk.
This restricted approval starkly contrasts with the widespread push for universal vaccination during the pandemic’s height, when Americans were told the shots were “safe and effective” for everyone.
Moderna claims the new vaccine delivers about one-fifth of the dose of its original Spikevax shot by “refining” the immune target.
The company insists that a lower dose provides the same protection while potentially reducing side effects that are of concern to many Americans.
Despite the fanfare around this new “tool,” the FDA’s decision to limit who can receive the vaccine follows a pattern of increasing caution about these shots after millions of Americans reported adverse reactions through the VAERS system.
The restrictions mirror those placed on competitor Novavax’s COVID vaccine, suggesting federal regulators may be responding to mounting safety concerns.
Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel stated that the approval “adds an important new tool to help protect people at high risk of severe disease from COVID-19.”
While Bancel celebrates the approval, many Americans continue to question why new COVID vaccines are still being developed when the virus has become endemic and less severe for most people.
The approval comes as the Trump administration canceled funding for Moderna’s development of experimental vaccines against bird flu, suggesting a shift toward more measured pandemic responses.
The FDA claims its decision was based on a study involving 11,400 participants showing the new vaccine is “safe and at least as effective as the original.”
Notably, Moderna’s existing vaccine remains available for anyone aged 6 months and older without restrictions.
For some, this raises questions about why the company needed to develop this new formulation in the first place.
Critics suggest this may be more about refreshing patents and profits than public health necessity.
For conservative Americans who fought against vaccine mandates during the height of the pandemic, this latest approval reinforces concerns about new shots despite decreasing public demand for COVID vaccines.
