Pfizer seeks FDA authorization for second booster for 65 and up

Pfizer and its collaborator BioNTech requested federal permission Tuesday to offer an extra booster dose of their COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty to folks 65 and older.

The request relies on information from Israel throughout a current omicron outbreak there. One examine of greater than 1 million Israelis over 60 confirmed that these who bought a fourth dose have been half as prone to grow to be contaminated and four-times much less prone to fall severely sick than those that had solely three photographs. 

In a second examine of 700 Israeli well being care staff, these who obtained a fourth dose, noticed a 10-fold bounce in protecting antibodies two weeks after the shot.

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The fourth dose was delivered three months after the third in each research and neither raised new security issues. Neither examine has been peer-reviewed.

Different research present that effectiveness towards each an infection and extreme illness begins to fade about three months after a 3rd dose, so one other dose could also be wanted, significantly in older people who find themselves at highest threat for extreme illness.

Proper now, folks can get a single booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine after two doses of the identical vaccine, one from Moderna or a single Johnson & Johnson shot.  

It isn’t clear how lengthy the Meals and Drug Administration will take to evaluate the request or whether or not it is going to convene its knowledgeable panel to evaluate it. 

The nation is having fun with a lull in COVID infections, with solely 2% of the nation thought of at excessive threat for an infection. 

As of Monday, just below 80 million Individuals have caught COVID-19 for the reason that pandemic started two years in the past, and 557 million doses of vaccine have been administered, in accordance with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, which might additionally need to log out on any new use of the vaccine. 

Slightly below 77% of Individuals ages 5 and up have been vaccinated no less than as soon as and 44% of these 12 and up have obtained a booster dose.

Contact Weintraub at kweintraub@usatoday.com 

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