The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved booster shots of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna’s coronavirus vaccines for all adults over the age of 18, the companies and the FDA said on Friday, expanding eligibility just in time for the winter and holiday seasons, The Hill reports.
The decision came days after Moderna formally requested the FDA to authorize the booster shots for all adults, and the same day a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) oversight committee is holding a meeting to talk about the vaccines.
Pfizer’s booster injection was supposed to be approved by the FDA this week, but Moderna submitted a similar request on Wednesday. On November 9, Pfizer submitted their request for wide permission.
Moderna’s booster shots contain 50 micrograms, which is half of the 100 micrograms required for the first two doses for adults. The Pfizer booster has the entire 30 microgram dosage.
Officials in the Biden administration have been pushing anybody who is eligible to receive a booster injection as soon as possible, and making both vaccinations widely available ahead of Thanksgiving indicates the government’s worry about the rising incidence of coronavirus cases.
Following FDA approval, the CDC panel usually meets and issues a formal recommendation. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky is anticipated to sign off if the panel recommends authorization, however, it’s uncertain how the panel will respond to the speed with which FDA approved Moderna’s booster. The CDC is not required to accept the panel’s advice, although it usually does.
Friday’s action marks the end of a long-running argument among specialists over who should be eligible for booster doses, and it fulfills President Biden’s vow to provide booster injections to all adults by September.
In September, an FDA advisory council voted against Pfizer’s request for all adults to receive a booster because members believed the data was insufficient, and instead recommended them for a smaller population. Moderna followed up and simply requested permission for the same group.
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