FDA Advisers Say A Plan Is Needed For Updating COVID19 Vaccines
The Covid-19 vaccinations that people receive in the future could be completely different formulations than the current vaccines, which are a composition based on the original version of the virus that emerged in late 2019.
The future of Covid-19 vaccines, including when and how often booster doses might be needed, remains “unclear and complex,” according to advisers to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) detailed in a meeting on Wednesday how emerging coronavirus variants and the future use of Covid-19 booster shots would be approached and coordinated. The advisers plan to continue their conversation in the coming months as the virus continues to mutate and evolve to survive.
Words to live by: "The virus ain't over, fool!"
Get boosted! https://t.co/NVAJOIM8b3 https://t.co/H9sGIvnDlU— U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) April 7, 2022
Various research teams from different institutions also are working to develop a “pan-coronavirus” vaccine — one that offers protection against multiple variants of the coronavirus that causes Covid-19. The hope is that such a vaccine could pave the way for the development of a universal coronavirus vaccine, which could head off any coronavirus and even the menacing threat of novel coronaviruses not yet identified.
Yesterday, the FDA and CDC made people 50 and older and the immunocompromised eligible for another booster – an important action to offer increased protection to some of the most vulnerable and high risk groups. Find a booster shot near you at https://t.co/S2DQV6MlBv.
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Some companies, including Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, are developing variant-specific vaccines that could target whatever variant of the coronavirus is circulating when that booster might be needed. For instance, Pfizer and Moderna have each said they are working on a vaccine that would specifically protect against the Omicron variant, even though it’s not clear whether one is needed. The goal is to create “something that can protect for at least a year,” said Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.
COVID BOOSTER SHOTS: An FDA panel is weighing in on COVID-19 booster shots and whether vaccines need to be updated to tackle specific variants. @EvaPilgrim reports. https://t.co/DdPfmzUioQ pic.twitter.com/9Zm7sImnX7
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