A recommendation for so-called booster vaccinations against the coronavirus was still pending in the USA. Now the FDA has recommended a third dose – but not without restriction.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved corona booster vaccinations with the agent from Biontech / Pfizer for the elderly and risk groups. The FDA announced.
It followed the recommendation of a panel of experts last week. In the US, another single dose of the vaccine is approved for use at least six months after the first two vaccinations for people over 65 and younger people with health or occupational risk factors.
The FDA allows booster vaccinations for certain groups such as health workers, teachers and educators, supermarket workers and people in homeless shelters or prisons, said FDA Representative Janet Woodcock.
The basis for the decision is the level of scientific knowledge and the recommendations of the advisory committee, which is made up of independent experts. The rapidly developing scientific findings on the “safety and effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccinations, including the use of booster vaccinations” will also be further assessed and the public will be informed accordingly.
General introduction of booster vaccination not justified
The FDA’s panel of experts had recently given US President Joe Biden’s vaccination plans a setback. The influential group of scientists came to the conclusion on Friday after a long discussion that the data did not justify a general introduction of a third dose of vaccine for people older than 16 years. Biden had already announced a vaccination start on September 20 for all those who were vaccinated eight months ago.
The FDA now followed the advisors’ recommendation. Formally, the step is an extension of the emergency approval for the corona vaccine from the manufacturer Biontech / Pfizer, which has existed since December 2020. The preparation itself, under the name Comirnaty, has had full approval in the USA since the end of August. Both vaccines are the same formula, stressed the FDA.
In Germany, people in need of care, people over 80 and people with immunodeficiency are sometimes offered a third vaccination. A recommendation from the Standing Vaccination Commission is still pending.
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