The United States is preparing to recommend the third dose of Pfizer and Moderna vaccine for those over 40. CNN states this, citing a source aware of the plan. “I think it will happen”, the words of the source. In September, the Food and Drug Administration authorized the administration of the third dose of covid vaccine for individuals aged 65 and older who have received the second dose of Pfizer vaccine for at least 6 months.
For younger people, the third dose is currently recommended only for certain categories: it is indicated for fragile subjects suffering from certain pathologies or for those who, for professional reasons, are particularly exposed to the risk of contagion. Last week, a panel of experts recommended the administration of the third dose of Moderna vaccine according to the same criteria: the Food and Drug Administration, however, has not yet formalized the green light in this case.
According to the source consulted by CNN, the administration of the third dose to over 40s would be linked to the “growing concern within the FDA” for data relating to hospitalizations among subjects under 65 who have completed the vaccination cycle. If the FDA were to get the recommendation on the booster dose for younger groups of the population, the ball would go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the green light. The topic could be discussed by the health authorities in the next few hours.
Meanwhile, for the categories to which the third dose has already been recommended, access to the vaccine mix could be allowed. Last week, the National Institutes of Health presented to the FDA panel of consultants the first data from a study showing the effectiveness of the vaccine mix – regardless of which dose is first received – and the effects on the antibody response. The mix, according to the first data, would offer an effective response also towards the Delta variant.
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