US approves new booster of Covid vaccines, 'mix and match' dose

The US Food and Drug Administration has authorised Covid booster doses of Moderna and Johnson and Johnson, and approved "mix and match" booster dose for currently available approved Covid-19 vaccines

US approves new booster of Covid vaccines, 'mix and match' dose
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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorised Covid-19 booster doses of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, and approved "mix and match" booster dose for currently available approved Covid-19 vaccines.

The agency on Wednesday authorised the use of a single booster dose of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine at least 6 months after completion of the primary shots to people 65 years of age and older, 18 through 64 years of age at high risk of severe Covid-19, and 18 through 64 years of age with frequent institutional or occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2, Xinhua news agency reported.

As for the Johnson & Johnson booster dose, the FDA authorised the use of a single booster dose at least 2 months after completion of the single-dose primary regimen to individuals 18 years of age and older.

A single booster dose of any of the available Covid-19 vaccines may be administered as a "mix and match" booster dose following completion of primary vaccination with a different available Covid-19 vaccine, according to the FDA.

For instance, a person who got a Johnson & Johnson vaccine could receive one from Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech as a booster.

"The available data suggest waning immunity in some populations who are fully vaccinated," said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock in a statement.


"The availability of these authorized boosters is important for continued protection against Covid-19 disease."

The decision came after an FDA advisory committee voted last week to recommend authorizing Moderna and Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 booster doses.

In September, the FDA authorized the first booster shots for the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, allowing a single booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine be administered at least 6 months after completion of the primary series to individuals 65 years of age and older, and 18 through 64 years of age with frequent institutional or occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2.

A recent study of the "mix and match" approach funded by the US National Institutes of Health found no safety concerns using different vaccines as a booster.

The study found that people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine produced stronger antibody levels after they got booster shots made by Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech, compared to boosters from Johnson & Johnson.

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