A panel of independent experts advising the Food and Drug Administration is set to recommend Tuesday whether to update existing COVID-19 vaccines to target a newer version of the coronavirus in a booster shot that Americans could get in the fall.
WASHINGTON —
At a meeting Tuesday, the FDA will ask the advisory panel whether a retooled vaccine should aim at a version of the virus in the omicron family. That would leave it to federal regulators to decide exactly which formulation to use in the fall. But a bivalent that targets those subvariants would also be problematic. Neither Pfizer nor Moderna has concentrated on developing one, and no one knows for sure how well it would work. At this late point in the year, using human trials to test such a vaccine, followed by the two months that would be required to manufacture doses, could push the release of any new vaccine well into the next wave of the virus.
But Dr. Paul Burton, Moderna’s medical director, said last week that it’s unlikely that the company could deliver doses until very late this year, or even early next year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that as of February, 60% of Americans had already been infected with the virus, providing them with at least some temporary immunity. While breakthrough infections among vaccinated individuals are now common, many of the cases are mild.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Pfizer says tweaked COVID-19 shots boost omicron protectionPfizer announced Saturday that tweaking its COVID-19 vaccine to better target the omicron variant is safe and works — just days before regulators debate whether to offer Americans updated booster shots this fall.
Read more »
Pfizer says tweaked COVID-19 shots boost omicron protectionThe vaccines currently used in the U.S. still offer strong protection against severe COVID-19 disease and death -- especially if people have gotten a booster dose.
Read more »
Pfizer says its tweaked COVID-19 shots boost protection against the omicron variantPfizer said that tweaking its vaccine to better target the omicron variant is safe and works — just days before regulators debate whether to offer Americans updated booster shots this fall.
Read more »
Pfizer says tweaked COVID-19 shots boost omicron protectionPfizer says tweaking its COVID-19 vaccine to better target the omicron variant is safe and boosts protection.
Read more »
Pfizer says tweaked COVID-19 shots boost omicron protectionPfizer announced Saturday that tweaking its COVID-19 vaccine to better target the omicron variant is safe and works — just days before regulators debate whether to offer Americans updated booster shots this fall.
Read more »
Pfizer and BioNTech say updated Covid-19 boosters show increased immune response against Omicron variantTwo Pfizer and BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine boosters updated to target the Omicron variant show a substantially higher immune response than the current Covid-19 vaccine, the companies said Saturday.
Read more »