FDA Proposes Annual COVID-19 mRNA Injections for Most Americans
U.S. government scientists have proposed making COVID-19 mRNA vaccination a regular, once-a-year injection that is repeatedly updated to match the current circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2, according to documents posted by the FDA on Monday (Jan. 23).
For people who are older or immunocompromised, the FDA would recommend two annual doses of the revised shot.
The new proposals were outlined ahead of a Thursday (Jan. 26) meeting of the FDA’s advisory panel on vaccines and related biological products, which will be asked to give the agency feedback on its plan.
The committee will be asked to vote only on whether the existing COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, which are based on the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 that circulated in 2020, should be changed to match the current booster shots, which contain both the original the newer Omicron variant.
Six members of the committee, including its acting chair, recently told CNN that they were disappointed that the FDA did not present data to them about the number of cases of infection in trials of the booster shot made by Moderna, although they also said it would not have changed their vote.
Full Link ( StatNews)
