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.
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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.
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However, the measure has one more hurdle to pass, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still needs to approve it.
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However, the measure has one more hurdle to pass, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still needs to approve it.
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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.
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Until recently, boosters of Pfizer and Moderna's vaccines were available for vulnerable groups.
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Last week, Pfizer cited new data from a study of 10,000 people and asked the FDA to expand availability to everyone.
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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.”
