US FDA Expands Pfizer and Moderna Vaccine Booster Shots to All Adults

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the emergency use authorization for Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to include all adults on the 19th (local time).

The FDA announced that all adults aged 18 and older who have completed two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines at least six months ago are now eligible for a third dose. Moderna CEO St?phane Bancel stated in a press release, "This emergency use authorization comes at a critical time as we enter winter and COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are increasing nationwide."

However, approval from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is still pending. Foreign media reported that once the CDC approves, all adults in the U.S. could receive booster shots as early as this weekend. Previously, the CDC had finalized approval for booster shots for those aged 18 and older for the Janssen vaccine, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.

The FDA's expansion decision came two months after pharmaceutical companies applied for emergency use authorization for booster shots in September. At that time, the FDA only partially approved boosters for seniors aged 65 and older and high-risk groups, citing insufficient scientific evidence for broader use. Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna subsequently submitted additional research data this month, requesting the expansion of booster eligibility to all adults.

According to a study published earlier this month in the journal Science, the effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine dropped from 86% in February to 43% in October, while Moderna's vaccine effectiveness declined from 89% to 58% during the same period. The efficacy of the Janssen vaccine sharply decreased from 86% to 13%. However, some remain skeptical about the necessity of booster shots, arguing that protection against hospitalization and death remains intact.

According to the CDC, 17% of U.S. adults who completed the initial vaccination series have already received booster shots. Additionally, regardless of federal health authority recommendations, some regions such as New York City have already allowed booster shots for all adults.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.