US regulators on Tuesday approved another booster vaccine against COVID-19 for people who are elderly or have weakened immune systems so they can better protect themselves this spring, while also taking steps to make vaccinations easier for the rest of the population. population.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated that people 65 and older can receive another booster as long as four months have passed since they received the bivalent vaccine, which targets types of the omicron variant.
And most of those with weakened immune systems can receive another bivalent booster shot at least two months later, with future doses at the doctor’s discretion. For everyone else, regardless of whether it’s a first shot or a booster, the FDA said the original versions of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are outdated and will no longer be used. Instead, those who receive a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine will receive the new version that targets the omicron. For most people, if this is their first vaccine, a single bivalent dose will suffice.
Those who received the original vaccine, but have not received the version against omicron will be able to receive that new version, but the agency will decide in the summer if young and healthy people will be able to receive the second bivalent booster.
“At this stage of the pandemic, the data collected supports the simplification of use” of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks said in a statement. “The agency believes this strategy will help encourage future vaccinations.”
Authorities in Britain and Canada have issued similar recommendations to offer an extra booster in the spring for vulnerable populations. Many high-risk Americans who received their last dose in the fall have been wondering when they will be able to get another.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will have to approve the new series of booster shots. His advisers will meet on Wednesday.
