What to know about upcoming COVID-19 vaccines and the FLiRT variants

The federal government and vaccine makers are getting a new COVID-19 vaccine ready for the fall. An advisory panel at the FDA last week voted on which strains of the virus to target in an updated formulation for the fall. And representatives from vaccine manufacturers Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax told the panel they can get shots in arms by September. So it’s a good time to start thinking about where you and your loved ones are at on your COVID-19 vaccines. Here is some advice from public health experts. Are COVID cases up? COVID-19 cases are ticking up again after reaching a seasonal low in April. Greater Boston wastewater data show a similar trend to what we saw last summer when there was a slow climb into early fall. And, if this winter is like the last two, we can expect a short-lived spike in cases after holiday get-togethers. Dr. Shira Doron, chief infection...