Pfizer asks FDA to authorize COVID-19 boosters for all adults

Pfizer and partner BioNTech have asked the FDA to allow booster shots of their COVID-19 vaccine for all adults, Pfizer announced Nov. 9. 

The drugmaker said it is basing the request on data from a phase 3 clinical trial involving more than 10,000 patients that was conducted when delta was the prevalent virus strain. The data showed a booster shot given to people who had previously gotten a two-dose course of Pfizer's vaccine was 95 percent effective against COVID-19 compared to people who didn't get a booster, and no new safety concerns were identified.

A booster dose of Pfizer's shot is already authorized for people ages 65 and older, adults at high risk of severe COVID-19 infection and adults whose jobs put them at a higher risk of COVID-19 infection, at least six months after their two-dose series. A booster of Moderna's vaccine is authorized for the same populations and the same time period, and Johnson & Johnson's is authorized for all adults at least two months after their first dose. 

More than 25 million people in the U.S. have gotten a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of Nov. 9, according to CDC data

It's unclear how long it will take for the FDA to act on Pfizer's request. 

Read Pfizer's full news release here

 

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Webinars