CDC recommends Covid booster shots to millions of Americans

With the Biden administration’s big victory, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday approved booster shots of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccines for tens of millions of Americans.

This decision follows government approval for Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine booster shots last month, opening the door for many Americans to look for booster shots as early as Friday.

In a statement, CDC director Rochelle P. Warrensky said that the coronavirus vaccine “is very effective in reducing the risk of serious illness, hospitalization and death among the widely available delta variants. It’s a target. “

With her approval, the country is approaching President Biden’s promise to provide boosters to all adults in August. The pandemic is currently retreating in most parts of the country, with about 75,000 new cases each day and about 1,500 Covid deaths.

The pledge has offended many experts, including those advising the Food and Drug Administration and the CDC, who said scientists had not yet had the opportunity to decide if boosters were really needed.

Studies have shown that the vaccine remained very effective against severe illness and death, but may have diminished its effectiveness against mild infections, especially as the delta mutant spread nationwide this summer. There is sex.

The purpose of the vaccine is not to prevent infection, but to prevent illnesses that are so serious that they require medical attention. Dr. Wilbur Chen of the Immunization Implementation Advisory Board, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Maryland and a member of the CDC panel, said during a Thursday deliberation.

“It may be too much to ask for either a primary series or booster vaccine to prevent all forms of infection,” said Dr. Chen.

Last month, a CDC adviser sought to reduce the number of Americans who should receive a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. As the FDA showed, the study said it did not support booster immunity for people at work who exposed them to the coronavirus.

But with a very unusual move, Dr. Warrensky Overturned their decision, Align government advice with standards set by the FDA

On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration Approved booster shot For millions of people who received the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, as well as the recipients of Pfizer-BioNTech Shot last month. The FDA has also given green light to those targeted for booster shots to get doses from another brand.

But in reality, who gets the shot and when it depends heavily on the CDC’s final guidance. Government recommendations are not binding on state or local officials, but they have great influence in the medical community.

On Thursday, the members of the CDC panel are so-called Mix and match strategyPeople who are fully immunized with one company’s vaccine say they should be allowed to get another vaccine for booster shots.

Limited evidence strongly suggests that the booster dose of one of the two mRNA vaccines (Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech) raises antibody levels more effectively than the booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. increase.

The Commission advised that those who receive the Johnson & Johnson single dose vaccine should receive a booster at least two months after the initial dose.

Among the first Americans immunized with the mRNA vaccine, adults aged 65 and over, adults aged 50 to 65 with certain medical conditions, and people living in long-term care environments have at least 6 months from the second vaccination. You will need to receive one booster immunization later. The committee has decided.

For adults between the ages of 18 and 49 with certain medical conditions, and adults who work regularly exposed to the virus, the panel says they can choose to get a booster after considering their individual risks. Said and chose a softer word.

Experts emphasized that people who received two mRNA vaccinations or one Johnson & Johnson vaccination should still be considered fully vaccinated. Federal health officials said they would continue to investigate whether people with weak immunity who had already been vaccinated for the third time should continue with the fourth.

Some advisers were concerned that young, healthy Americans who didn’t need boosters might choose to get boosters anyway. Side effects are rare, but scientists say they can outweigh the potential benefits of booster doses in young Americans.

Dr. Helen Talbot, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University, said:

The Commission’s final vote contrasted with discussions earlier in the day. The panel states that in adults under the age of 65, even adults with chronic illness, the Moderna vaccine maintains a high level of protection against serious illness, and if effective, only a slight decrease over time. I heard you didn’t show it.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was less effective than the Moderna vaccine as a whole, but due to limited data it was not possible to determine if it could decline over time.

However, some advisors who have already approved Pfizer-BioNTech boosters said in an interview that they felt they had to do the same for the other two vaccines and vaccinated them. He added that it is fair only to people.

To date, just over 11 million people have opted for additional shots, and up to 3 million make up people with a weak immune system who have been approved to receive a third dose to support the immune response. I am. To date, only 6% of fully vaccinated people and about 15% of adults over the age of 65 have been boosted.

Moderna booster shots are not the same as the first shot. The dose will be 50 micrograms. This is half the dose given in the first immunization. Moderna scientists have provided data showing that lower doses are sufficient to stimulate the immune system.

However, it may be necessary to deliver lower doses from the same vials currently used for initial immunization. Members of some committees pointed out that this could increase the risk of contamination and mismedication. (Moderna has been testing vials that supply small doses of vaccine to alleviate this problem, according to former government officials.)

CDC scientists said at a meeting that Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are generally safe, except for rare and almost mild heart problems in young men. The risk of this condition, called myocarditis, is high after the second dose of the mRNA vaccine and is highest in men aged 18 to 24 years.

In people under the age of 20, this condition can affect more than 100 men for every 1 million people immunized with the mRNA vaccine.Studies show that the risk of heart problems is After Covid-19 seizures are much higher..

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine poses a slight risk of blood clots in young women. A representative of the company said that the incidence of blood clots was estimated to be 15.1 cases / million after the first dose and 1.9 cases after the second dose.

Some panelists are worried about the risk of blood clots in young women receiving a second boost of Johnson & Johnson vaccine and the risk of myocarditis in young men after a third dose of mRNA vaccine. I said there is.

Perhaps young women should be directed to the mRNA vaccine and young men should be directed to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Dr. Talbot said.

“We are in a different pandemic place than before,” she said. The opportunity to mix and combine vaccines is “valuable.”