NEW YORK CITY (dpa-AFX) - The advisory panel of the US Food and Drug Administration, which met on Thursday, voted to recommend vaccine maker Moderna Inc.'s (MRNA) booster shot for most of the vaccinated population.
The panel advised that the booster shot be administered after a period of six months following the second dose.
As per the advisory committee instructions, a half-dose is recommended as third injection for people aged 65 and above. Young people who can get Covid due to their existing medical conditions or jobs are also eligible for the third dose. These categories of people are the same who were approved for getting the booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine.
The panel took the decision in favor of Moderna after getting the views of company officials, agency scientists and an Israeli health official as the country had begun administering Pfizer booster shots more than three months ago.
The advisory panel, although approving of the Moderna booster shot, pointed out the fact there was little data supporting the third dose. Many on the panel said that the FDA had already made history by giving approval for the third Pfizer dose.
Dr. Eric Rubin, an adjunct professor of immunology and infectious diseases at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, said that Modena did not have enough data to show the adverse effects, if any, of the booster dose.
The Moderna meeting is the first one of a two-day Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, which will also discuss and vote on booster shots of the Johnson & Johnson vaccines. There will be discussions on the topics of mix-and-match vaccines as well. On Friday, they will debate on the topic of J&J booster shots.
The FDA's committee of independent advisers only give recommendations to the health regulator regarding vaccine approvals. The final decision to approve or reject a vaccine is with FDA.
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