UK MHRA Authorizes Moderna Spikevax XFG-Adapted COVID-19 Vaccine for Adults 65+ and High-Risk Groups; First-Time Private Purchase Access Outside NHS
Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA) announced Friday August 28, 2026 that the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) authorized its updated Spikevax XFG-adapted COVID-19 mRNA vaccine for adults and children aged six months and older, priced for the autumn NHS vaccination program covering adults 65 and older, care home residents, health and social care workers, and clinically vulnerable groups. For the first time in the UK, the updated Spikevax vaccine will also be available to purchase privately for those not eligible for the NHS Autumn vaccination program, distributed through high street pharmacies, occupational health providers, and private healthcare companies. The authorization mirrors the FDA supplemental BLA approval that Pfizer-BioNTech received Wednesday August 27 for Comirnaty XFG, and lands as the roughly $2 billion August 27 Moderna convertible notes raise gears the company for cancer vaccine expansion.