Washington, March 30 (US): The US Food and Drug Administration has allowed additional doses of Pfizer or Moderna to be given to anyone age 50 or older and to some younger people with severely weakened immune systems. It is an attempt to beat the possible next wave of coronavirus.
With cases of COVID-19 declining in the United States, it is easy to ignore calls for another dose — or for those who haven’t been vaccinated or boosted to keep up with the latest developments, Dr. Erica Johnson, an infectious disease specialist with the American Council, said. Internal Medicine.
Her advice: If you’re on the fence, use that calm to talk to your doctor about how protective you really are — and what you should be up to.
Who qualifies for a second booster?
Anyone 50 years of age or older can get the extra dose at least four months after the last vaccination. So can patients with severely compromised immune systems, such as organ transplant recipients, who are under 12 years old.
Adults can choose the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for an extra dose, but Pfizer is the only option for children.
What about people who have joined JOHNSON & JOHNSON?
Adults who received one dose of the J&J vaccine were already eligible for a booster dose of any kind — and only the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends getting another dose, the AP reports.
A new study found that a second shot of Moderna or Pfizer was better than getting a second dose of Johnson & Johnson. So the advice is that anyone who’s gotten a second shot of J&J can now choose a Moderna or Pfizer dose.
But if they already have one of those other boosters, the CDC says only those who meet the latest criteria — age or weak immune system — qualify for other criteria.
What prompted the action?
Vaccines still provide strong protection against severe illness and death, but their effectiveness against mild infections wanes months later. The shots also don’t work for new variants like the super-contagious omicron mutant as it did previously in the pandemic.
That’s why everyone 12 years of age or older, regardless of their health, is already urged to get their first booster for the best chance of repelling the omicron. Only about half of those qualified have it.
With O’Micron’s brother causing spikes in infections in other countries, officials worry the United States may be next, prompting efforts to provide additional protection for the most vulnerable.
What is the evidence for another reinforcer?
Many scientists say it is limited, leaving public health officials to use their best judgments.
During the American Omicron wave, two doses of Pfizer or Moderna plus the booster were 94% effective against death or the need for a ventilator, according to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study.
This protection was lower – 74% – in the immunocompromised people, although most did not actually get the third recommended dose.
Israel has begun offering a second booster dose to people 60 years of age or older during the omicron augmentation. Preliminary results published online last week show there were fewer deaths among people who chose another booster dose than those who skipped the fourth dose.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decided to set the minimum age at 50 instead of 60 because this is the time when chronic diseases like heart disease or diabetes become more common, making people more susceptible to the dangerous COVID-19.
Who Really Needs a Second Booster?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the extra shot is an option — but those who are likely to benefit are the most likely to develop serious illness, including people 65 and older and 50 with health problems. multiple.
When should I get it?
Again, experts have different opinions, in part because it’s not clear how long any additional benefit lasts.
“We can never have an ideal time when the next wave is, or when someone is facing infection,” said Johnson, who sees patients at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore. “To be as prepared as possible, I think everyone just needs to stay as up to date on the latest vaccines as possible.”
Another dose now might make sense for the elderly and the immunocompromised, but “there is a less urgent need in someone who is otherwise healthy,” said E. Jon Wehrey, an immunologist at the University of Pennsylvania.
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