FDA Weighs Authorization , of Second Round of , COVID Boosters for Some People.
The United States Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) is planning an annual
COVID booster campaign starting this fall.
NPR reports that the new round of boosters
will be updated to combat whatever variant is
expected to circulate in the following winter.
Currently, the FDA has only authorized
one booster of the latest bivalent vaccines. .
However, NPR reports that the FDA is reconsidering
its stance and weighing the authorization of
a second bivalent booster for some people.
According to an anonymous federal official, those being
considered for a second booster include people with
compromised immune systems or who are 65 and older.
Those doses are going to be expiring
and will be thrown out. So it makes sense
to have those shots in arms instead
of being tossed in the waste basket, Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, via NPR.
Historically, when you look at the monovalent
vaccines, the protection starts to wane
after four or five months. We don't know
if that's the case with bivalent booster.
But you don't want to find out the hard way, Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, via NPR.
Historically, when you look at the monovalent
vaccines, the protection starts to wane
after four or five months. We don't know
if that's the case with bivalent booster.
But you don't want to find out the hard way, Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, via NPR.
NPR reports that opponents of the second round
of boosters say there is not enough evidence to
show that protection has significantly faded.
I have no data to show me that
a second bivalent is safe and effective.
I have every reason to think it might be.
But I don't actually have data, Dr. Gregory Poland, director of the Mayo
Clinic's Vaccine Research Group, via NPR.
I have no data to show me that
a second bivalent is safe and effective.
I have every reason to think it might be.
But I don't actually have data, Dr. Gregory Poland, director of the Mayo
Clinic's Vaccine Research Group, via NPR.
NPR reports that there is also a chance that the shots
could have an opposite effect, as the bivalent boosters
target an old strain that has since been replaced.