The FDA on Jan. 7 cut the interval between completion of Moderna's two-dose COVID-19 vaccination series and a booster dose to five months instead of six.
The change aligns with the CDC's guidance for Pfizer recipients, which recommends people 12 and older receive boosters five months after their second shot. Pfizer's vaccine is the only one authorized for use among people under the age of 18. Meanwhile, for Johnson & Johnson recipients, a booster is recommended after two months.
"Vaccination is our best defense against COVID-19, including the circulating variants, and shortening the length of time between completion of a primary series and a booster dose may help reduce waning immunity," said Peter Marks, MD, PhD, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. "Today's action also brings consistency in the timing for administration of a booster dose among the available mRNA vaccines."
About 35 percent of the nation's fully vaccinated population had received their booster as of Jan. 6, CDC data shows.