COVID Boosters , for All Adults
Get FDA Approval, , Await CDC Review.
On November 19, regulators in the United States approved
COVID-19 booster shots for all adults, an expansion
of the government's campaign to bolster protection. .
AP reports that the latest action is meant
to simplify the list of who is eligible
to receive a booster and which one to get. .
However, the measure has one more hurdle
to pass, as the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention still needs to approve it. .
However, the measure has one more hurdle
to pass, as the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention still needs to approve it. .
If the CDC approves the measure,
tens of millions of Americans could be
eligible for three doses of protection.
According to the AP, all three COVID-19 vaccines protect against severe illness, hospitalization and death, but their efficacy wanes with time. .
Until recently, boosters of Pfizer and Moderna's vaccines were available for vulnerable groups. .
Last week, Pfizer cited new data from
a study of 10,000 people and asked
the FDA to expand availability to everyone. .
Streamlining the eligibility criteria
and making booster doses available
to all individuals 18 years of age and
older will also help to eliminate confusion
about who may receive a booster dose
and ensure booster doses are
available to all who may need one, Dr. Peter Marks, FDA vaccine chief, via AP.
AP reports that the FDA did not consult
advisers before granting approval, saying
that Pfizer and Moderna’s boosters, “do not raise questions that would
benefit from additional discussion.”