FDA considers approving second COVID-19 booster jab

US health regulators are looking at authorising a potential fourth dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, according to Reuters.  

The FDA has been reviewing data to authorise a second booster dose of the messenger RNA vaccines from Pfizer and partner BioNTech, and vaccines from Moderna, in an attempt to provide better protection sooner against the Omicron variant.

The authorisation would depend on the outcome of decisions surrounding whether the second booster should be authorised for all adults or particular age groups, and whether it should target the Omicron variant or be formulated differently. The FDA added that no decision was final, and that it could be necessary to make booster shots available earlier, if a new variant appears.

The FDA added that no decision was final, and that it could be necessary to make booster shots available earlier if a new variant appears.

The Omicron wave has diminished significantly in the US over the past month, and is now averaging just over 290,000 new COVID-19 cases per day, which is a higher daily total than in an previous wave of COVID-19, but this is a drastic drop from just a few weeks ago. Cases are currently a third of what they were three weeks ago, when the total peaked at about 800,000 new cases per day. New hospital admissions are also down compared to last week.

As it stands, approximately 64% of the US population is fully vaccinated with at least their first booster, and about 27% of the population is fully vaccinated and boosted.

Lina Adams