The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved on Thursday updated COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA), Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) and BioNTech SE (NASDAQ:BNTX), and Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY) and Novavax Inc. (NASDAQ:NVAX) for the 2026-27 vaccination season, giving vaccine makers a new shot at the seasonal COVID market.

The updated vaccines, according to the Washington Post report, target the XFG variant, a JN.1-lineage strain that the FDA selected as the preferred target for the upcoming season. The agency said the change is intended to more closely match currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 viruses.

For Moderna, the FDA approved updated versions of Spikevax and mNEXSPIKE. Pfizer and BioNTech received approval for an updated Comirnaty, while Sanofi-Novavax received approval for its updated Nuvaxovid vaccine.

But investors should note that the approvals do not restore broad eligibility for everyone. The vaccines are approved for adults 65 and older and, depending on the product, younger people with underlying conditions that put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19. Pfizer and BioNTech’s updated Comirnaty, for example, is approved for people 65 and older and those ages 5 to 64 with at least one qualifying underlying condition.

That narrower market remains a challenge for vaccine makers as COVID-related revenue has fallen sharply from pandemic-era levels.

Still, the FDA approvals clear the way for the 2026-27 season and could provide a seasonal revenue boost for Moderna, Pfizer, BioNTech, Sanofi and Novavax.

For investors, the key question is whether updated vaccines targeting XFG can generate stronger demand as the fall respiratory-virus season approaches.

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