An updated COVID vaccine has just been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, timely for a rollout to boost protection in the fall and winter, when more people will be staying indoors.

The new formula targets the “KP.2” variant that has dominated infections in recent months; the shots from Pfizer and Moderna are expected out soon. Though COVID is much less fearsome than it used to be, it can still cause hospitalization, even death, among the most vulnerable and aged. Heed the scientists, who say vaccination is the cornerstone of COVID prevention.