The US FDA has approved booster vaccinations with the corona vaccines from Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, as well as so-called cross vaccinations. This should continue to «proactively fight the Covid-19 pandemic,» said FDA director Janet Woodcock (73) on Wednesday. Vaccinations offer the “safest and most effective” protection against illness and a serious or even fatal course.
According to the FDA approval, seniors from 65 years of age, 18 to 64 year olds with an increased risk of a severe course of the disease and adults in professions with an increased risk of infection can receive a Moderna third-party vaccination. A so-called booster vaccination with the vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, in which only one dose has been administered so far, is approved for all people over the age of 18. Booster vaccinations with the Biontech-Pfizer vaccine have been possible since September.
The FDA now also allows vaccine combinations for boosters, for example a dose of Biontech / Pfizer after a first dose of the Johnson & Johnson preparation. This procedure, known as “mix and match” in the USA, is already being used in other countries such as Germany. After approval by the FDA, the CDC health authority must now publish appropriate vaccination recommendations, which is considered a formality.
Two doses of vaccine are sufficient
The question of a booster vaccination is fundamentally controversial. Proponents argue that an extra dose of vaccine increases protection against infection with the coronavirus, especially given the spread of the Delta variant and declining immunity over time.
Opponents of a booster vaccination, on the other hand, say that two doses of the vaccine would already offer sufficient protection, especially against serious and fatal courses of the disease. They believe that the focus should be on vaccinating unvaccinated people – in the US, but also in developing countries where there is a shortage of vaccines.
Large vaccination campaign planned for children
US President Joe Biden (78) is a big proponent of booster vaccinations. In the United States, more than 189 million people are now fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. That is around 57 percent of the total population and two thirds of the people who are entitled to a vaccination.
The US government is also preparing a large-scale vaccination campaign for children between the ages of five and eleven. The White House said on Wednesday that the first vaccinations for children of this age group could be given “in the days” after a final recommendation by the CDC. That is expected for the beginning of November. Vaccinations for the estimated 28 million children between the ages of five and eleven are to be administered in pediatric practices, children’s hospitals, pharmacies and schools.
At the beginning of November, Biontech and Pfizer submitted an application for emergency approval of their corona vaccine for this age group. The vaccine is approved from the age of twelve.
Approval for Switzerland in progress
In Switzerland, too, there could soon be the third spade. And maybe already at the end of this month, as Swissmedic approval manager Claus Bolte explained on the TV program “10 to 10”. According to this, the booster vaccination is still possible in October – “if the relevant companies play along,” said Bolte. “I’m talking about a few, maybe two or three weeks,” he said when asked when the third vaccination should be allowed.
The approval is now dependent on the manufacturer. They would have to answer Swissmedic’s questions. “If the manufacturers play along, approval is still possible until the end of October,” said Bolte. (AFP / SDA / jmh)