Oluwatobi Adu 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The World Health Organization calls on scientists and vaccine manufacturers to submit critical data ahead of a key May 2026 meeting on COVID-19 vaccine updates.
The agency says the request will guide deliberations by its Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition (TAG-CO-VAC).
“The purpose is to guide the scientific community on the data required ahead of deliberations,” WHO states.
The group is tracking variants including JN.1, KP.2, and XEC, assessing how current vaccines perform against evolving strains.
Researchers are urged to provide data on immune responses, vaccine effectiveness, and antibody behaviour across populations.
WHO emphasises that evidence-based updates are essential to ensure vaccines remain effective against emerging variants.
The initiative underscores ongoing global efforts to monitor SARS-CoV-2 evolution and maintain pandemic preparedness.
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Korede Abdullah 
