WASHINGTON – Digging into the data, that’s what’s on the agenda for vaccine advisers to the FDA.
Thursday they’re scheduled to vote on whether to recommend Moderna’s application for a half-size booster of its COVID-19 vaccine for certain groups at least six months after the second dose.
The company says the goal is to increase protection and help worldwide vaccine supply.
Friday, Johnson & Johnson’s booster will be up for a vote; though if it does receive a recommendation, the company wants the FDA to decide who would get it and when.
Also on Friday’s agenda, consideration of mixing and matching shots, that’s 9 different combinations that have been studied.
“The most important takeaways are two things,” says Leana Wen, Former Baltimore Health Commissioner. One is that all of these different nine combinations are safe, as in there are no new or different side effects so all of these appear to be safe and then the second big takeaway is that all of these combinations induced a pretty strong, robust antibody response.”
But advisers aren’t scheduled to vote on the issue just yet. As for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson boosters, if they get yes votes and move through proper channels without any hiccups, some experts think the CDC could make a recommendation in early November.
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