US approves 4th dose of anti-Govt vaccine for +50 years – International
2 min read
In a statement, the FDA said its decision was based on emerging evidence that an additional booster dose given four months later had improved protection against severe COVID-19 and was not associated with new security issues.
In addition, people with immunodeficiency who have already received four injections, last at least four months ago, are now eligible for a fifth dose. This group includes organ transplants.
The Pfizer vaccine is available for people over 12 years of age who are immunocompromised, and the Moderna vaccine is available for people over 18 years of age.
“Current evidence suggests that some protection against the harsh effects of COVID-19 in the elderly and immunocompromised individuals is declining over time,” explained FDA lead scientist Peter Marx.
The FDA said that Israeli data, which examined the effects of the fourth dose given four months after the third dose in 700,000, showed that the additional injection was safe.
The company also cited data from a study of 154 health workers whose antibody levels against Delta and Omigran types increased two weeks after receiving the fourth dose.
In a study published by Israeli researchers in the New England Journal of Medicine this month, three doses of the current generation messenger RNA vaccine have peaked in terms of developed immunity.
In other words, while three doses boost immunity, a fourth dose restores antibody levels to the right place.
Experts point out that the benefits for younger, healthier people are not yet clear, and that new vaccines will be developed as the virus continues to change seasonally.
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