On November 17, American pharmaceutical company Moderna applied to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve the COVID-19 booster shot for all adults 18 years of age and older.
According to Reuters, Moderna has submitted a request for permission to administer 50 micrograms of the vaccine to all adults.
50㎍ corresponds to half of the 1st and 2nd inoculation doses of 100㎍ each administered at an interval of 4 weeks.
Currently, the FDA only allows booster shots to be given to immunocompromised people, people 65 years of age or older, people who are at high risk of serious illness, or who are regularly exposed to the virus.
Moderna’s application was submitted about a week after Pfizer applied for permission to administer its vaccine booster shot. The FDA is expected to make a decision on the Pfizer booster shot this week.
Experts believe that booster shot vaccination is essential for COVID-19 to reach the endemic stage. The Joe Biden administration also announced in August that it would give all adults a booster shot vaccine.
The European Union (EU) already approved the Moderna vaccine last month for adults 18 years of age or older who have had a second dose of the Moderna vaccine at least six months ago. Moderna has also applied for approval of booster shots to the Japanese Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA).
Meanwhile, several Western countries, including France, Canada, Finland and Sweden, are taking a relatively defensive stance against the approval of the Moderna vaccine booster shot, fearing the possibility of side effects such as myocarditis and pericarditis in young people.
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