Pfizer seeking FDA OK for COVID-19 vaccine booster dose

Pfizer is seeking U.S. support of a booster dose of its two-shot COVID-19 vaccine.

The drugmaker said Wednesday that it has started the exertion process for a 3rd dose of its vaccine for everyone ages 16 and older. The institution said it volition implicit the exertion with the Food and Drug Administration by the extremity of this week.

The FDA earlier this period said transplant recipients oregon others with weakened immune systems tin get an other dose of Pfizer oregon Moderna vaccines. Then past week, U.S. wellness officials announced plans to springiness COVID-19 booster shots to each Americans to enactment up their extortion amid the surging delta variant of the coronavirus.

That program drew disapproval from scientists astatine the World Health Organization, who noted that mediocre countries are not getting capable vaccine for their archetypal rounds of shots.

Pfizer’s vaccine, jointly developed with Germany’s BioNTech, received afloat FDA support earlier this week, besides for those ages 16 and older. It had been fixed to that property radical nether an exigency usage authorization, which is inactive the lawsuit for those ages 12 to 15.

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More than 200 cardinal doses of the Pfizer vaccine person been administered successful the U.S. — and hundreds of millions much worldwide — since it got the greenish airy successful December.

The 3 vaccines utilized successful the U.S. made by Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are inactive preventing hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19. But the vaccines don’t look rather arsenic beardown against the highly contagious delta variant arsenic they were against earlier versions of the virus.

The U.S. booster program calls for an other dose 8 months aft radical get their 2nd changeable of the Pfizer oregon Moderna vaccine.

Also connected Wednesday, J&J said it plans to speech to regulators astir a booster dose for its single-shot vaccine. The drugmaker said it besides saw a large leap successful virus-fighting antibodies successful radical who received the other shot.

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