Moderna says updated COVID booster is superior to original vaccine shots, could begin shipping by August

Moderna announced new data on Wednesday suggesting a new version of its COVID-19 vaccine will offer superior protection to its original formulation of shots, based on studying antibodies generated by their new boosters in blood samples of trial participants. 

The company said in a release that it plans to submit its data to the Food and Drug Administration in the coming weeks. If the FDA signs off, doses of the updated vaccine and boosters could be ready to ship "as early as August."

Moderna's announcement comes ahead of a meeting of the regulator's outside vaccine advisers, scheduled for later this month, that will weigh key decisions around potential changes to COVID-19 boosters that may be administered this fall.