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“This is a consequential meeting to determine if we’ve reached the point in the pandemic that allows for simplifying the use of current COVID-19 vaccines,” said FDA’s Dr.
The advisory panel mostly agreed with the
COVID-19 vaccines have saved millions of lives and booster doses continue to help the most vulnerable even as more contagious variants have popped up. But protection does wane and the shots don’t fend off milder infections for long.
And people are tired of getting vaccinated. While more than 80% of the
That makes for tough decisions on how to move forward: Who really needs another shot, how often and what kind?
“We’re still protected against severe disease, thank goodness,” even after the latest mutated omicron strains cropped up, noted FDA adviser Dr.
The first step: The FDA advisory panel voted unanimously that people should get the same vaccine formula whether they're receiving their initial vaccinations or a booster. Today, Americans get one formula based on the original coronavirus strain that emerged in 2020 for their first two or three doses — and their latest booster is a combination shot made by
The FDA would have to decide how to phase in that change.
But “this isn't only a convenience thing" to ease confusion about different kinds of shots, said Dr.
Who needs another shot and when sparked more debate.
Looking ahead, the FDA said most Americans should do fine if they get a once-a-year booster targeted to the newest variants in the fall. The agency asked if some people might need two doses -- adults with weakened immune systems and very young children who’ve never been previously vaccinated. That’s similar to how youngsters get their first-ever flu vaccination.
But more data is needed to show exactly who might need two yearly doses — such as a careful count of who still gets hospitalized with COVID-19 despite being up-to-date with today's vaccinations, Offit said.
“Only then can we really best make the decision about who gets vaccinated with what and when," he said.
Nor is it clear that younger, healthier people would need a COVID-19 booster every year.
“It's hard to say it's going to be annual at this point,” said Harvard's Dr.
Fall might not even be the best time to boost, something that would depend on when infections start rising and how long a booster’s protection might last, said FDA adviser Dr.
Unlike flu which in the
As for the recipe, the
Also Thursday,
AP Health Writer
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