According to the search results, the newest COVID-19 vaccine is the updated COVID-19 vaccine for the fall/winter 2023-2024 season. This vaccine is based on a variant called XBB.1.5 and is designed to prevent severe disease from the Omicron XBB.1.5 subvariant. The updated mRNA vaccines are each approved for individuals 12 years of age and older and are authorized under emergency use for individuals 6 months through 11 years of age. The updated vaccines are expected to keep more people from getting seriously ill with the virus through the winter, when infections and hospitalizations tend to tick upwards. The updated vaccines are not expected to prevent all cases of COVID, including those causing mild illness; rather, their aim is to reduce severe illness, hospitalization, and death from infection. The updated COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for use in the United States by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) .