ETF recommends updating COVID-19 vaccines to target new JN.1 variant

The European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Emergency Task Force (ETF) has recommended updating COVID-19 vaccines to target the new SARS-CoV-2 variant JN.1 for the 2024/2025 vaccination campaign.

JN.1 differs from the XBB family targeted by previous updated vaccines and has now surpassed the XBB variants to become the most widely circulating variant worldwide.

In making its recommendation, the ETF consulted the World Health Organization (WHO), international partners and marketing authorization holders for COVID-19 vaccines. The ETF also considered a wide range of data, including data on the evolution of the virus and data from animal studies on the effects of candidate vaccines targeting JN.1.