when will the new covid booster be available

The new COVID booster for the 2025-26 season is expected to be available in the fall of 2025, around the same time as the annual flu shot. In the Netherlands, a COVID-19 vaccination round will start on September 15, 2025, and continue until December 5, 2025, targeting higher-risk groups such as those aged 60 and older, people with certain medical conditions, and care workers. In the United States, the vaccine formula has been updated to a monovalent JN.1-lineage vaccine and manufacturers were advised of production schedules to have the vaccines ready for fall 2025. Public health experts generally anticipate availability in the fall, though no exact date is universally fixed yet.