Nathan Jacobs, of Boston, gets his Covid Booster shot from Sassy Yogurtian at City Hall on December 9, 2021 in Boston, MA.
Stuart Cahill | MediaNews Group | beautiful pictures
People in the US may need another Covid booster shot this fall as public health experts expect immunity from the vaccine to wane and transmission of the virus to increase in the coming weeks. colder months, the top official with the Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday.
Dr. Peter Marks, head of the FDA office responsible for vaccine safety, said the United States may need a fourth shot for people under 50 in the fall. Everyone Who is now eligible for the fourth shoot Marks told reporters during a conference call that he will likely be shot a fifth time if there is evidence in favor.
Marks also said the US could switch to another vaccine that targets a specific Covid variant, or a combination of them. Existing vaccines were developed against the virus that originally emerged in Wuhan, China in late 2019 and their effectiveness has diminished over time as the virus mutates. Pfizer and Moderna are conducting clinical trials on injections that target both omicrons and other circulating variants.
The FDA will hold an advisory committee meeting on April 6 to discuss the future of booster shots in the US and whether the vaccine needs updating to provide better protection against the virus. variation or not.
“It wouldn’t be surprising if there was a need for a supplemental booster in the fall along with a more general strengthening campaign if that were to happen,” says Marks. “It is possible that a decision has been made that instead of the vaccines we have now, called vaccines against the protovirus, that we will switch to a vaccine against one of the variation or something else.”
On Tuesday, the FDA authorized the fourth dose of Pfizer and Moderna’s original vaccines to people 50 years of age and older. The drug regulator also allows a second booster dose for young people with compromised immune systems. People 12 years of age or older with certain underlying medical conditions will be eligible for Pfizer, and people 18 years of age or older with the same health problems will be eligible for Moderna.
Marks said evidence from Israel suggests a fourth dose may reduce the risk of hospitalization and death in older adults. The more contagious sub omicron, BA.2, has caused a new wave of infections in major countries in Europe as well as in China. Earlier this month, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House medical adviser, said BA.2 could cause infections to increase in the US, although he did not expect another spike.
Marks said the FDA has decided to give a fourth dose to older adults and a fifth dose to certain individuals with compromised immune systems so they have the tools to protect their health should another wave occur. in U.S.A.
Scientists and public health officials are divided over whether more boosters are needed now. Israeli scientists found that the fourth dose significantly reduced mortality in people 60 years of age and older compared with those who received three injections. The study from Ben Gurion University and Clalit Health Services, Israel’s largest healthcare provider, did not undergo peer review.
However, another Israeli study of healthcare workers 18 years of age and older found that a fourth dose did not boost immunity in young adults, many of whom still had mild breakthrough infections. and no symptoms.
Dr Gili Regev-Yochay and a team of scientists from Sheba Medical Center and Israel’s Ministry of Health who carried out the study wrote in a letter to New England. Medical Journal this month.
