FDA: US Drug Agency Approves Moderna and Janssen Booster Dose, Supports Vaccine Mix | Society

The drug regulatory agency in the United States (FDA) has approved the booster doses of Moderna and Janssen’s covid-19 vaccines, as well as the option to mix sera. The FDA approval came after a US regulator’s scientific committee last week recommended booster doses of Moderna for certain population groups, and Janssen for those over 18 years of age.

In its decision released Wednesday, the FDA notes that the second dose of Janssen’s vaccine can be given two months after the first to individuals over 18 years of age, while recommending the Moderna booster six months after received the complete guideline for certain groups. In the case of Moderna, the agency authorizes the additional dose for all those over 65 years of age, as well as for those over 18 who are at risk of suffering a serious covid or with jobs that imply being exposed to the disease.

In parallel, the FDA allows the booster vaccine to be different from the one originally received. To illustrate this, the regulator gave as an example the case of a person who has received the single-dose vaccine from Janssen, who from now on could opt for a booster from Moderna – in this case it indicates that it would have to be half a dose – or from Pfizer .

For their part, individuals who have received two doses of either Pfizer or Moderna vaccines could choose between a third of either of those two sera (if you have the entire Pfizer regimen, it should be half a dose of Moderna ), or Janssen. In this regard, the director of the Center for Biological Assessment and Research, Peter Marks, said in a statement that they will collect additional data on the benefits and risks of using booster doses in more population groups.

The commissioner of the FDA, Janet Woodcock, recalled in the same note that “science has shown that vaccination remains the safest and most effective way to prevent covid-19, including the most serious consequences of the disease.” These booster doses could be available as soon as next weekend if they get the green light from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Last month, the United States approved the booster dose of Pfizer’s vaccine for the same groups authorized today for Moderna. According to CDC data, more than 11.2 million people in the US have received a booster shot.