EMA’s Emergency Task Force (ETF) has recommended updating COVID-19 vaccines to target the new SARS-CoV-2 variant XFG for the 2026/2027 vaccination campaign.
XFG is part of the JN.1 family of Omicron subvariants. Its circulation has increased worldwide since June 2025, peaking at 74% of infections genetically sequenced globally in October 2025, and it still remains prevalent among JN.1 subvariants although not consistently across all regions.