Advisers to the U.S. government are recommending that COVID-19 booster shots used this fall be modified to better match more recent variants of the coronavirus.
shots this fall, as government advisers voted Tuesday that it's time to tweak booster doses to better match the most recent virus variants.
"We are going to be behind the eight-ball if we wait longer," said one adviser, Dr. Mark Sawyer of the University of California, San Diego. Pfizer and Moderna already were brewing boosters that add protection to the first Omicron mutant. Their combination shots, what scientists call"bivalent" vaccines, substantially boosted levels of antibodies capable of fighting that variant, more than simply giving another dose of today's vaccine.
Further complicating the decision is that only half of vaccinated Americans have received that all-important first booster. And while the CDC says protection against hospitalization has slipped some for older adults, a second booster that's recommended for people 50 and older seems to restore it. But only a quarter of those eligible for the additional booster have gotten one.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
FDA advisers debate updating COVID-19 booster for anticipated fall, winter surgeGovernment advisers are debating if Americans should get a modified COVID-19 booster shot this fall — one that better matches more recent virus variants.
Read more »
FDA may move toward updating COVID-19 vaccines for fall booster shotsA 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the Food and Drug Administration is set to recommend Tuesday whether to update existing COVID-19 vaccines to target a newer version of the coronavirus in a booster shot that Americans could get in the fall.
Read more »
An FDA Panel Decides It's Time For New COVID-19 BoostersAmericans could get a new version of the shot as early as this fall
Read more »
FDA advisers recommend updating COVID booster shots for fallGovernment advisers are recommending that some U.S. adults get a modified COVID-19 booster shot this fall — one that better matches more recent virus variants
Read more »
FDA advisers recommend updating COVID booster shots for fallGovernment advisers debated Tuesday if Americans should get a modified COVID-19 booster shot this fall, and exactly how best to update it to fight a virus that surely will change even more by then.
Read more »