Experts in the medical world spoke out on Friday in favor of the administration of a 3rd dose of the Pfizer vaccine to all Americans over 65 years of age or at risk, but against its injection to the entire population, a setback for President Biden who wanted to launch a recall campaign.
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After a day of debates, this advisory committee of the American Medicines Agency (FDA) made up of American researchers, epidemiologists and specialists in infectious diseases rendered two decisions:
These experts were unanimous on the need for a third dose of the vaccine for people aged 65 and over, as well as for people at high risk of developing a severe form of the disease, six months after the second. dose. They believe that caregivers should be included among these “high risk” people.
But this panel also expressed its concerns about the possible side effects that an additional dose of the vaccine would generate if it were administered to the entire population, especially among the youngest. It is thus de facto opposed to the Biden administration’s major recall campaign aimed at adults.
Scientists notably mentioned concerns about the risks of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, in young adolescent males and adult males.
The recommendations of this committee are not binding, but it is very rare that they are not respected by the authorities.
“I think this should demonstrate to the general public that the members of this committee are independent from the FDA, and that we do have a say when we are asked to sit,” said one of its members, Archana Chatterjee.
President Biden’s administration announced in August the launch of an anti-Covid vaccine booster campaign for all American adults who received their second dose eight months previously from September 20.
This decision had taken many experts by surprise.
Mistrust had been invited into the ranks of the United States Medicines Agency (FDA), which had published a document tinged with caution before the meeting on Friday.
“In general, the data indicates that the anti-COVID vaccines authorized in the United States still confer protection against severe forms of COVID-19 and death,” the agency said in a report.
Two senior officials from the US Drug Agency have also affixed their names to a letter published this week in The Lancet against a third dose “at this stage of the pandemic”.
Following the announcement of the decisions, Pfizer said “continue to believe in the benefits of a booster dose for a larger portion of the population”, while claiming to “work with the FDA (…) to answer questions of the committee ”, in the voice of its head of vaccines Kathrin Jansen.
To convince the entire population of the need for this additional dose, the company cited studies earlier today that demonstrated a drop in protection against infections a few months after the administration of the first two doses.
However, a growing number of American studies show that two doses are sufficient to confer high protection against the serious consequences of the disease – albeit at slightly lower levels in the elderly.
Pfizer also referred to data showing that the boosters increased the level of antibodies against the Delta variant.
“Administering a booster dose allowed Israel to limit severe cases in its 4th wave,” Sharon Alroy Preis, an Israeli health official, said during the presentation.
The American Medicines Agency retorts for its part that all the studies are not necessarily reliable and judges that those emanating from research in the United States are “likely to represent most faithfully the effectiveness of vaccines with the American population”.
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