In a major policy shift, federal health officials anticipate the shots will be made available to adults 65 and older as well as children and younger adults who have one or more risk factors that make them more vulnerable to severe COVID-19.

In an editorial article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Vinay Prasad, the newly appointed head of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and research at the FDA, and Dr. Martin Makary, FDA commissioner, explained their plan for how the FDA will evaluate and recommend COVID-19 vaccines going forward.

The FDA announced a policy shift for COVID-19 vaccine approvals to focus on Americans considered high-risk of contracting the virus, and those older than age 65.