The Food and Drug Administration is considering a major shift in the nation's COVID-19 vaccine strategy, NPR has learned.

The goal is to simplify vaccination against COVID and perhaps adopt an approach similar that used for the flu vaccine, with annual updates to match whatever strain of the virus is circulating. This is according to a federal official who spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

The FDA will outline the strategy publicly Monday when it releases a set of documents in advance of a meeting Thursday of the agency's Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee. The committee will vote on the agency's proposal.