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DES MOINES, Iowa — On Thursday the Food and Drug Administration approved two updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. Officials said these vaccines could soon be available to patients.

The Center for Disease Control reports COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are on the rise. So, just like the yearly flu shot, COVID-19 vaccinations are being updated to protect individuals against the current strains of the virus going around.

These new shots are designed to target the KP.2 strain, which is a descendant of the highly contagious JN.1 variant that went around last winter. But only 22.5% of adults got last years updated COVID vaccine.

Health care officials say these updates are key to help people combat new strains of the virus, and mitigate symptoms if people do get sick.

“We have a really good, robust database with information about how safe COVID vaccines are in general,” Dr. Nathan Boonstra, pediatrician at Blank Children’s Hospital, said. “So, just changing that strain is not likely to cause additional issues, just like getting your each year’s Flu vaccine that has a different strain of Flu in it, is not likely to effect the safety profile of the vaccine. So, I don’t think there’s a lot of reason why people need to worry about safety issues. In fact, as we see each year, as the seasonal vaccine comes out, these vaccines are extremely safe.”

Boonstra said for people looking to get the updated booster, it may take some time to for the vaccines to get to pharmacies or clinics. So, make sure to call ahead and ensure the availability of the shot before booking an appointment.