Moderna is seeking FDA permission to receive a second booster dose of the coronavirus vaccine for all adults

The applications of the messenger RNA vaccine makers, which account for nearly all vaccines distributed in the United States, are sure to intensify the debate about the continuity of protection it provides. Corona Virus Vaccines – topic of the scientific community section.

Both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna said their requests to allow a second booster dose were based in part on The latest data from Israel that show decreased efficacy of the vaccine during an omicron increase. Moderna, whose enhanced application was first reported by The New York Times, is still conducting clinical trials for an omicron-specific booster dose.

Real-world studies and data show that enhanced protection remains strong against severe illness and death but diminishes against infection after several months.

Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, in a recent interview, US data It shows so far that protection against severe disease remains strong four to five months after a booster dose, dropping somewhat from 91 percent efficacy in preventing severe disease to 78 percent.

Moderna He said in a statement On Thursday, it requested a second booster shot for all adults to give the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and doctors more flexibility in determining which patients might be good candidates for an additional dose of the vaccine.

A decision can come from the Food and Drug Administration relatively quickly, especially if officials conclude that the data is clear and does not need to be reviewed by a panel of outside vaccine experts. Then CDC advisors give an opinion on who should qualify for a second booster dose, and the CDC director will have the final say on those recommendations.

Moderna’s two-dose vaccine received full FDA approval for adults in January after obtaining an emergency use authorization in December 2020. The FDA has authorized the booster boost Messenger RNA vaccines in November.

“Realistic evidence continues to confirm the efficacy and robust safety profile of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine,” the company said in a statement.