PDF Newspaper (fivefilters.org) ← clicky clicky if you want a more pleasurable reading experience.
Moderna seeks FDA
authorization for 4th dose of
COVID shot
WASHINGTON — Drugmaker Moderna asked the Food and Drug
Administration on Thursday to authorize a fourth shot of its
COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose for all adults.
The request is broader than rival pharmaceutical company Pfizer’s
request earlier this week for the regulator to approve a booster
shot for all seniors.
In a press release, the company said its request for approval for all
adults was made “to provide flexibility” to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention and medical providers to determine the
“appropriate use” of a second booster dose of the mRNA vaccine,
“including for those at higher risk of COVID-19 due to age or
comorbidities.”
U.S. officials have been laying the groundwork to deliver
additional booster doses to shore up the vaccines’ protection
against serious disease and death from COVID-19. The White
House has been sounding the alarm that it needs Congress to
“urgently” approve more funding for the federal government to
secure more doses of the COVID-19 vaccines, either for additional
booster shots or variant-specific immunizations.
U.S. health officials currently recommend a primary series of two
doses of the Moderna vaccine and a booster dose months later.
Moderna said its request for an additional dose was based on
“recently published data generated in the United States and Israel
following the emergence of Omicron.”
On Tuesday, Pfizer and its partner BioNTech asked U.S. regulators
to authorize an additional booster dose of their COVID-19 vaccine
for seniors, saying data from Israel suggests older adults would
benefit.
Rather than recommend ever-more-frequent doses of their same, ever-less-effective, vaccines maybe they should endorse some of the developing vaccines that are more effective on recent strains?
Our kids are over 5 but I have their boosters scheduled for next week. Wonder if this news will impact the lines/wait time. I hope it gets a good take rate…here, a lot of kids who have been eligible for a while still haven’t gotten it.
The demand for boosters has really dropped off here. We had our second booster this week and there was no problem getting it on short notice. I don’t see that changing much once Canada also approves the under 5’s.
Our 4 year old granddaughter will get it when it is approved. Our older grandkids are already vaccinated and boosted.
New Scientist is usually reliable. They list a few other countries who have approved under-5 vaccines.
Canada has been cautious about approving new drugs and vaccines ever since the thalidomide tragedy. If they do eventually approve the COVID vaccine for under-5’s I will trust their decision.
I think part of the issue is original COVID was so low risk for under 5s it doesn’t take much risk of side effects for it to outweigh the minimal benefit.
To be fair, the risk of imminent death is quite low for under-5’s. The risk of long-term complications is still fairly unknown.
I’m obviously not under 5, but still dealing with respiratory infections that are likely related to having had Covid back in January. Zero stars… do not recommend.
Ironic that it was a Canadian at the FDA that blocked thalidomide approval in the US but Canada permitted it with the attendant disastrous impact there.
for COVID booster I was basically waiting for life to get indoors more, then they announced a better variant formula in September, so will wait for that too
