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FDA authorized booster doses for vaccinated with Moderna and Janssen

It also approved a different vaccine for the booster dose than the one originally used for immunization.

The US drug regulatory agency on Wednesday approved the use of a different anticovid vaccine for the booster dose than the one originally used for immunization, it said in a statement.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also approved Johnson & Johnson’s booster vaccines for everyone 18 years of age and older, and Moderna’s for certain at-risk populations, including the elderly.

“The FDA has determined that the known and potential benefits of using a single different booster dose outweigh the known and potential risks of its use in eligible populations,” the agency said in a statement.

Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are licensed in the United States. Now a single dose of any of them can be used as a booster of the primary vaccination, even if it is from a different laboratory than the vaccination received initially.

According to the new decision, people who received two injections of Moderna initially and are 65 or older, those over 18 with high risk, or over 18 with high exposure from their work, can now receive a booster.

All adults who received the J&J vaccine, a single shot, more than two months ago are also eligible for a booster.

Previously, only immunosuppressed people or people who were in the elderly or high-risk groups, and who had received the Pfizer vaccine, were initially eligible for a booster.

The data supporting the decisions comes from emerging research reviewed by the FDA.

“Today’s actions demonstrate our commitment to public health in the proactive fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” said FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock.

The statement also warned of unusual side effects associated with vaccines.

The messenger RNA vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna, have been associated with an increased risk of inflammatory heart conditions, myocarditis, and pericarditis, especially in young men.

The J&J vaccine has been linked to a rare and serious type of blood clot in combination with low platelet levels one to two weeks after administration. The risk is highest among women ages 18 to 49. (I)

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