| Moderna’s new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) vaccine (center) © AFP=News1 |
American pharmaceutical company Moderna applied to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the 17th (local time) to authorize all adults over the age of 18 to receive a new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) booster shot.
According to Reuters, Moderna has submitted a request for permission to administer the vaccine to all adults at 50 micrograms (μg).
50㎍ corresponds to half of the 1st and 2nd inoculation doses of 100㎍ each administered at an interval of 4 weeks.
Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) only allows booster shots to be given to immunocompromised people, people 65 years of age or older, people who are at high risk of serious illness, or who are regularly exposed to the virus.
Moderna’s application was submitted about a week after Pfizer applied for permission to vaccinate its vaccine, BoosterShot. The FDA is expected to make a decision on the Pfizer Boostershot within this week.
Experts believe that booster shot vaccination is essential for COVID-19 to reach the endemic stage. The Joe Biden administration also announced in August that it would give all adults a booster shot vaccine.
The European Union (EU) has already approved the Moderna vaccine for adults over the age of 18, who have been at least six months since the second dose of the Moderna vaccine was completed last month. Moderna has also applied for approval of the Booster Shot vaccination to the Japanese Medicines Agency.
Meanwhile, several Western countries, including France, Canada, Finland and Sweden, are taking a relatively defensive stance against the approval of the Moderna vaccine booster shot, fearing the possibility of side effects such as myocarditis and pericarditis in young people.
pasta@news1.kr
