US CDC Approves Moderna, J & J COVID-19 Vaccine Booster, Mix and Match Shot

(Reuters)-The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended COVID-19 vaccine boosters to recipients of Moderna Inc and Johnson & Johnson shots on Thursday, stating that Americans can choose shots that differ from the original vaccination. rice field. amplifier.

CDC director Rochelle Walensky approved the recommendation late Thursday and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Approval On Wednesday for additional boosters and “mix and match” administration.

All US-approved vaccines are “very effective in reducing the risk of serious illness, hospitalization, and death among the widely distributed delta variants,” Walensky said. Said.

The CDC Advisory Board unanimously endorsed the COVID-19 vaccine booster early Thursday.

Still, health officials and public health experts said booster deployments could be confusing.

The Commission struggled to clarify the wording of the recommendations as much as possible and to provide patients with the flexibility to obtain the vaccine of their choice.

“The really important aspect of all this is that it’s clear and not dancing with a pin head, which doesn’t further confuse Americans,” said Bethbel, a panel member and clinical professor at the department. The doctor says. He holds a degree in Global Health from the University of Washington in Seattle.

Recommendations also open the door for recipients of the One-Shot J & J vaccine to receive Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, which have been shown in various studies to provide stronger protection.

While these vaccines are very effective in preventing serious illness and death, some government scientists have broken breaks, especially among those who have been completely vaccinated with highly contagious delta variants. It suggests that boosters are needed to keep immunity high as it can cause slew infections.

ACIP voted to recommend booster vaccinations for all persons over the age of 18 who received the first Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago.

ACIP is a third dose to those who have been vaccinated with Moderna twice at least 6 months ago, those over the age of 65, those at risk or seriously ill, and those at high risk of being exposed to the virus. I recommended. jobs.

Dr. Helen Talbot, an infectious disease expert and panel member at Vanderbilt University, said she voted for this recommendation: “Moderna is a very effective vaccine. High and low doses are somewhat There will be confusion. “

The booster dose for the Moderna vaccine is 50 micrograms, which is half the strength of the original shot.

“People who are not at high risk should be really thoughtful about taking higher doses. I think we need to be very aware of potential complications.”

Experts said communicating these risks can be problematic, especially given the flexibility that people can choose from different vaccines from the original series.

“In the end, even the phrase’mix and match’ gives people the freedom to do almost anything,” said Glen Nowak, a professor of risk communications at the University of Georgia and a former director of communications at the CDC. The national vaccination program said after the meeting. “I think that’s a problem.”

The FDA and CDC have previously approved booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and its partner BioNTech SE for the same group included in Moderna’s recommendations.

Pfizer released data on Thursday for people over the age of 16 compared to protection almost a year after receiving a double-dose regimen, as booster doses become less effective over time. Suggests that it was very protective.

So far, about 11.6 million people have been boosted, according to Data from CDC..

After the White House announced plans for an extensive booster campaign in August, the FDA and CDC have been under pressure to approve additional shots.

Other countries, such as Israel, have begun to provide boosters to a wider population, but it is not yet known if the United States will follow suit.