XEC, like countless others before it, is a part of the omicron family. The variant is closely related to KP.2, the strain targeted by the updated vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. And both XEC and KP.1 are descendants of the JN.1 strain, targeted by the updated Novavax vaccine.
“I think we have good reason to think that there will be substantial protection from the boosters that are available,” Hanage said.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the program, has not yet said when it will start taking orders again for the at-home COVID-19 tests through the COVIDTests.gov website. It only instructs visitors to "come back to place your order in late September 2024."
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