The US Food and Drug Administration says new boosters – a fourth round of vaccines for most vaccine recipients – of Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) / BioNTech SE (22UAy.DE) and Moderna Inc (MRNA.O) vaccines at least four months after the previous dose. Their purpose is to offer more protection against serious diseases and hospitalization. The FDA has also approved a second booster dose of the vaccine for younger people with weakened immune systems – those aged 12 and over for the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine and those 18 and older for Moderna’s. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has backed the FDA mandate, recommending additional admission, especially for the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions that put them at higher risk. The decision to offer second-hand amplifiers in the United States comes as some scientists have expressed concern about the highly contagious and recently predominant BA.2 Omicron subtype, which has led to COVID-19 cases in other countries. “If they were my relatives, I would send them to do it,” said FDA official Dr. Peter Marks, during a press conference for receiving booster pistons. “COVID-19 had a really disproportionate adverse effect in people aged 65 and over and in people with comorbidities.” Coronavirus cases in the United States fell sharply after rising to a record high in January, but rose slightly last week, according to the CDC. A WIDER STRENGTHENING CAMPAIGN MAY NEED Marks said the FDA would soon weigh the benefits of approving another round of amplifiers – perhaps specifically aimed at combating new variants of concern – to a wider population after the summer. A nurse fills patients’ syringes as they receive the coronavirus (COVID-19) booster during a Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination clinic in Southfield, Michigan, USA, September 29, 2021. REUTERS / Emily read more “There may be a need for people to get an extra boost in the fall along with a more general boost campaign, if that happens, because we may need to switch to a different coverage variant,” he said. The FDA said it was looking at data from a relatively small, ongoing clinical trial in Israel to help make its decision. In addition, security data from more than 700,000 people who received second-hand amplifiers in Israel did not reveal any new concerns, the agency said. Scientists and officials debated for months whether and when an additional booster vaccine would be needed as they analyzed data on how long vaccine and booster protection would last. read more “It’s not clear that now is the time for people to take a fourth dose,” said Dr. William Moss, executive director of the International Vaccine Access Center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. If there is an increase in cases in late fall or early winter, as is typical for respiratory viruses and the flu, an additional boost may be needed, he said. The body’s neutralizing antibodies pushed by a fourth booster now given can be reduced in just a few months, he said. It is also not clear if young, healthy people will need a fourth dose. The study of Israeli health workers reported by the FDA showed that the fourth dose added minimal additional protection to the age group. Biden government officials said the US government currently has several doses of vaccines to meet the demand for another round of booster vaccines for older Americans, even though funding for the US pandemic has run out. They say if Congress does not approve more spending, the government will likely not be able to pay for future vaccinations if needed, especially if the vaccines need to be redesigned to target new variants. About two-thirds of fully vaccinated Americans over the age of 65 and just over half of people between the ages of 50 and 64 have received their first booster dose so far. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report by Michael Erman in New Jersey, Manojna Maddipatla and Leroy Leo in Bengaluru, Additional citations by Ahmed Aboulenein in Washington. Edited by Bill Berkrot Our role models: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
