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CDC panel unanimously endorses Moderna and J&J Covid boosters, sending to director for final approval

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On Thursday, a powerful advisory panel of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that boosters be considered. Moderna Johnson & JohnsonCDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky was notified about the Covid-19 vaccines and sent it for approval.

Moderna booster was recommended by the agency’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. It is for older people or at-risk adults and should be used six months following the completion of their first series. This aligns with Pfizer’s distribution plan and BioNTech’s booster. It also endorsed J&J boosters for everyone 18 and older who received the initial shot at least two months ago.

More than 39 million Moderna recipients and nearly 13 million J&J recipients may be eligible for a booster dose as early as Friday, according to a slide presented by the CDC during the meeting.

Booster shots have been a contentious topic for scientists — in and outside the government — especially as many people in the U.S. and other parts of the world have yet to receive even one dose of a vaccine. While the World Health Organization has asked wealthy countries to delay distributing booster shots, some scientists claim they don’t believe most Americans require them at this time.

Some members voiced concern over the absence of booster data before voting. Other members asked the agency for clarification on eligibility to receive the extra doses.

Biden’s administration believes that giving additional dosages to the U.S. will provide long-term protection against death, severe illness and hospitalization as the rapidly-moving delta variant spreads and changes. One newly discovered variant of delta was being investigated in the U.K.It is feared that this could make the virus more easily transmissible, and compromise Covid-19 vaccinations.

Walensky spoke to the committee prior to Thursday’s vote. She thanked them and noted that data about the virus is continually changing.

She stated that “none of us can predict the future and no one can tell us what we should do.” Please know that I’m here to listen and am eager to hear your perspectives.

A moderna recipient can receive a booster for half of what they received in the first two shots.

Data provided by the CDC before the meeting showed that two-dose anti-infective vaccines lose effectiveness over time. Data showed that there are some small drops in the protection against hospitalization, particularly for patients over 65.

The CDC acknowledged that there were some flaws in the data and pointed out that certain recipients could have taken part in dangerous activities even after being vaccinated.

Dr. Tom Shimabukuro from the CDC presented data showing that there was an increased risk for rare inflammatory diseases, such as myocarditis or pericarditis following vaccinations with Moderna and Pfizer. This is especially true after the second dose.

Shimabukuro stated that the incidence of rare heart conditions was 10% per million doses within seven days. This is based on a U.S. military member’s study. He said that it was common in young men, and often after the second dose. Most patients felt fully healed within six weeks.

He said that surveillance was ongoing.

Dr. Macaya Douoguih, head of clinical development and medical affairs for J&J’s vaccines division Janssen, said there is no data to suggest people are at increased risk of a rare, but serious, blood clot condition after receiving a second dose. She presented data from the U.K. on second doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine, which uses a similar platform to J&J’s.

However, one expert on the committee noted that U.K. authorities began to curb the use of AstraZeneca’s vaccine in young women earlier this year because of the risk of rare blood clots, meaning it may be difficult to determine the impact of a second J&J dose based on that data.

This is an ongoing story. Stay tuned for new updates.

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