The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new round of vaccines against COVID-19.
The vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer and its partner BioNTech were approved Monday for people 12 and older and under an emergency use authorization for children ages 6 months to 11 years old.
The vaccines target the omicron subvariant called XBB.1.5, which is no longer the most common strain in circulation. The vaccine makers and FDA say that the vaccine should still provide good protection against COVID. Recent studies support that.
The shots would be given as a single dose for most people 5 years of age and older, regardless of prior COVID-19 vaccination history.
Children younger than 5 may be eligible for multiple doses of this season’s vaccine if they had not previously finished a three-dose series with earlier COVID-19 vaccines.
Moderna and Pfizer say they have produced ample supplies of their vaccines.
A panel of advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has backed the broad use of new COVID-19 vaccines, as cases of the respiratory illness rise.
The advisers voted 13-1 on Tuesday to recommend the vaccines for people ages 6 months and older. While the benefits appear to be greatest for the oldest and youngest people, the benefits of vaccination exceed the risks for everyone, according to a CDC analysis.
The universal recommendation, as opposed to one that applies to selected groups, could ease the rollout of the vaccine and improve access and equity.
Leave a Reply