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The United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine for Americans.
NewsmakersNG reports that the booster shot is recommended for those who received their second or full dose of COVID-19 vaccine not less than eight months ago.
The administration of the boosters is expected to commence as early as next month, starting with “people with moderately to severely compromised immune systems,” before extending to the general population.
In a joint statement published today, the heads of the US government’s leading health agencies, including the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health, said Washington was “prepared to offer booster shots for all Americans” eight months after their second dose. The boosters would become available from September 20.
The decision comes as the US battles a fresh wave of Covid cases, with the more contagious Delta variant spreading rapidly in several states, particularly among people who have not received any jabs.
The health officials, including the US surgeon general Vivek Murthy and Anthony Fauci, Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, said those at the front of the queue for boosters would include healthcare providers, nursing home residents and other senior citizens who had been among the first to receive jabs.
The officials said the boosters were subject to formal approval by both the FDA and the CDC, which are reviewing the evidence on the safety and effectiveness of a third jab of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines.
The statement noted that the administration of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine only began in the US in March, and while officials said they “anticipate” boosters would also be needed for J&J recipients, they were continuing to review the available data and would “keep the public informed with a timely plan for J&J booster shots as well”.
“Our top priority remains staying ahead of the virus and protecting the American people from Covid-19 with safe, effective and long-lasting vaccines, especially in the context of a constantly changing virus and epidemiologic landscape,” the health officials said.
An earlier statement by the CDC director, Rochelle Walensky, on Friday, announcing the decision, reads, “Today, I signed CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation that endorsed the use of an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine for people with moderately to severely compromised immune systems after an initial two-dose vaccine series.
“This official CDC recommendation — which follows FDA’s decision to amend the emergency use authorizations of the vaccines — is an important step in ensuring everyone, including those most vulnerable to COVID-19, can get as much protection as possible from COVID-19 vaccination.
“Emerging data suggest some people with moderately to severely compromised immune systems do not always build the same level of immunity compared to people who are not immunocompromised. In addition, in small studiespdf icon, fully vaccinated immunocompromised people have accounted for a large proportion of hospitalized breakthrough cases (40-44%). Immunocompromised people who are infected with SARS CoV-2 are also more likely to transmit the viruspdf icon to household contacts.
“While people who are immunocompromised make up about 3% of the U.S. adult population, they are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 because they are more at risk of serious, prolonged illness. Included in CDC’s recommendation are people with a range of conditions, such as recipients of organ or stem cell transplants, people with advanced or untreated HIV infection, active recipients of treatment for cancer, people who are taking some medications that weaken the immune system, and others. A full list of conditions can be found on CDC’s website. The additional dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine should be the same vaccine as the initial series and administered at least four weeks after completing a primary mRNA COVID-19 vaccine series.
“While vaccination is likely to increase protection in this population, even after vaccination, people who are immunocompromised should continue follow current prevention measures (including wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart from others they do not live with, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces) to protect themselves and those around them against COVID-19 until advised otherwise by their healthcare provider. CDC does not recommend additional doses or booster shots for any other population at this time.
“At a time when the Delta variant is surging, an additional vaccine dose for some people with weakened immune systems could help prevent serious and possibly life-threatening COVID-19 cases within this population.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has however criticised the decision, arguing that it would be morally unjustifiable for any country to recommend boosters until the entire world has been fully vaccinated.
The WHO also emphasised that current data “does not indicate that boosters are needed”.
Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s health emergencies programme, noted, “The reality is, right now, today, if we think of this in terms of an analogy, we’re planning to hand out extra life jackets to people who already have life jackets, while we’re leaving other people to drown without a single life jacket. That’s the reality.”
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