On Oct. 31, 2022, Moderna announced that it had received approval from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) in Japan for a partial change to a new drug application for its Omicron-targeting bivalent COVID-19 booster, mRNA-1273.222 (Spikevax Bivalent Original/Omicron BA.4-5) in adults 18 years and older. Spikevax Bivalent Original/Omicron BA.4-5 contains 25 ﾵg of mRNA-1273 (Spikevax) and 25 ﾵg of a vaccine candidate targeting the Omicron variant BA.4-5. mRNA-1273.222 now joins Moderna’s BA.1 variant targeting vaccine, mRNA-1273.214, which was approved in Japan in September.