Moderna asked the Food and Drug Administration to authorize the fourth shot earlier this week. The fourth shot would be a COVID-19 booster dose for all adults. Moderna executive mentioned the possibility of a fourth dose because the first booster would lose effectiveness by the fall. This request follows after Moderna’s rival company, Pfizer, requested booster shot approval for all seniors.
Second Booster Dose of Moderna Vaccine
Moderna’s request was “to provide flexibility” to the CDC and medical professionals so they could determine if a second booster was necessary. Furthermore, U.S. officials have been working diligently to have additional booster doses available to help combat COVID-19. The White House urges Congress to approve more funding for the federal government to secure more doses of vaccines.
Currently, U.S. health officials recommend a primary series of two doses of the Moderna vaccine and a booster dose months later. Moderna’s recent request was based on “recently published data generated in the U.S. and Israel following the emergence of Omicron.“
Pfizer’s Race for Booster Doses for Seniors
As stated before, Pfizer and its partner BioNTech asked for the authorization of an additional booster dose for seniors. They also pulled data from Israel, which suggested older adults would benefit. For now, individuals only need one Pfizer vaccine dose as a booster. Data proves individuals who are are vaccinated and boosted, maintain a high level of protection, particularly against severe disease and hospitalization.
