USA – The FDA has announced in a press release that it has officially amended its Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for both Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna’s COVID-19 single-shot booster vaccinations to include all adults.

Individuals must be 18 or older and at least six months removed from the completion of their primary vaccination series of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna shots to be eligible. This limit is reduced to two months if they received the Janssen single-shot vaccine.

Prior to this announcement, booster vaccinations were only available to people 65 and older, people aged 18 to 64 who were at high risk of severe COVID-19, and people aged 18 to 64 who had frequent institutional or occupational exposure to coronavirus disease.

“Throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA has worked to make timely public health decisions as the pandemic evolves. COVID-19 vaccines have proven to be the best and highly effective defense against COVID-19,” said Janet Woodcock, acting FDA commissioner, in an agency press release.

Authorizing the use of a single booster dose of either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 18 years of age and older helps to provide continued protection against COVID-19, including the serious consequences that can occur, such as hospitalization and death.

This decision was made after an analysis of immunity data from clinical trials of both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, according to the release.

The Pfizer-BioNTech trial compared 200 participants aged 18 to 55 who received a single booster dose at least six months after their second dose to peers who only completed the two-dose series, while the Moderna trial compared 149 individuals aged 18 or older to peers who only completed the two-dose series.

One month after vaccination, both studies discovered an increased immune response in the booster group.

In other news, Canada has approved Pfizer’s COVOD-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11, paving the way for the inoculation of elementary school-age children across the nation.

The shot is the first to made available for young children in Canada, with health officials noting that the decision would be favorable considering the incidences of the Covid-19 are highest in those under 12.

Separately, Pfizer Canada has said in a statement that it would begin sending shipments immediately. The vaccine will be administered in two doses of 10 micrograms, three weeks apart, while adult doses contain 30 micrograms.

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