BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Marketing changes by major COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers have people asking: What is Spikevax? What is Comirnaty?
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Spikevax is simply a new name for a product the public is already familiar with — the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Comirnaty is also just a new name for a familiar product — the Pfizer-BoiNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
“The vaccine has been known as the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, and will now be marketed as Spikevax, for the prevention of COVID-19 in individuals 18 years of age and older,” an online FDA publication said. “The vaccine that has been known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine will now be marketed as Comirnaty, for the prevention of COVID-19 in individuals 16 years of age and older.
The change is the result of the full approval of the vaccines by the FDA, which has previously only allowed their use on an emergency basis.
On March 29, the FDA authorized a second booster dose of the two vaccines for older and immunocompromised individuals. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has set up a website, Vaccines.gov, to help individuals find COVID-19 vaccines and boosters in their area.
