The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved updated COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna targeting a recent variant of the disease, in time for a fall vaccination campaign, Paralel.Az reports citing Reuters.

The updated shots target the KP.2 variant that was circulating earlier this year. They are expected to be available across the country in the coming days, the companies said.

The health regulator had asked vaccine manufacturers in June to target the variant, if feasible.

The latest vaccines are designed to more closely target currently circulating variants and better protect against the disease's severe symptoms. The older shots targeted a variant that is no longer circulating.

"Vaccination continues to be the cornerstone of COVID-19 prevention," said Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

KP.2 is no longer dominant but is still related to other variants currently circulating in the United States. Health regulators hope to protect against circulating variants by targeting closely related forms such as KP.2.