Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended the emergency use authorizations (EUAs) of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to authorize a new formula that is now ready for the American people to receive.
This new formula is aimed to provide better protection against the now dominant BA.4 and BA.5 lineages of the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2. The Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent, is authorized for use as a single booster dose in individuals 18 years of age and older. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent, is authorized for use as a single booster dose in individuals 12 years of age and older. These doses can be taken after you’ve waited at least two months since your last dose or completed your initial stages of vaccinations.
It’s important to note that the FDA has extensive experience with strain changes across many vaccines and that this is a normal process that was expected to happen as the virus changes. Dr. Robert M. Califf, the FDA commissioner, said, “as we head into and begin to spend more time indoors, we strongly encourage anyone who is eligible to consider receiving a booster dose.” He added that the vaccine would, “provide better protection against currently circulating variants.”
The U.S. has felt the devastation of the Coronavirus that has led to an average of 90,000 infections and 475 deaths recorded every day among Americans. Mercedes Carnethon, an epidemiologist from Northwestern University, mentioned, “Covid-19 is the third leading cause of death in the United States. And it’s as if we’ve just accepted that that is going to be the case.” This indicates that the Coronavirus is not going away anytime soon and that it should still be on people’s minds when trying to stay healthy. To find a vaccination site near you, click here.
Like what you’re reading?
Recent Comments