Moderna said late Thursday that it has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve the emergency use of a second booster of its COVID vaccine for all adults.
In a statement, the company noted its request is based partly on recent data from the United States and Israel showing how well its vaccine protects against the Omicron variant.
A broader authorization
Moderna has asked for much broader authorization for a second booster than Pfizer did when it requested FDA emergency use authorization of a second booster of its vaccine for adults 65 and older earlier this week. In doing so, Moderna explained that its request covered all adults to give federal health officials the freedom to determine who should get a second booster, including for those at higher risk of severe disease because of age or underlying medical conditions.
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Is a second booster really needed?
U.S. health officials have expressed concerns about the waning power of Moderna and Pfizer booster shots that were authorized last fall. There are signs the FDA could respond quickly to Pfizer’s request for a second booster, but it’s unclear how the agency will view Moderna’s request, The New York Times reported.
In the meantime, experts are engaged in an intense debate over whether a second booster is needed at the moment.
“I’m a strong proponent of giving a second booster now,” Dr. Peter Hotez, a vaccine expert at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, tells the Times.
The first booster shot “made a huge difference” in improving protection against hospitalization and even infection from the Omicron variant, Hotez notes.
“It’s also clear that protection is waning now pretty quickly, a few months after