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A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted Thursday to recommend Moderna booster shots for emergency use authorization, bringing millions of Americans one step closer to being eligible for an additional dose.
The panel, called the Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, voted unanimously in favor of authorizing the shots. The decision will now go to the FDA, which is expected to make a final ruling in the coming days.
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The panel’s recommendations for the Moderna booster followed the blueprint it established last month for booster shots of Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine: It would be authorized for adults ages 65 and up; people in long-term care facilities; people with underlying medical conditions; and people at high risk of exposure to the coronavirus because of their job. These individuals would be eligible at least six months after their second shot.
Moderna’s booster dose would be given as a half dose of 50 micrograms, compared to the original 100 micrograms given in the initial vaccination series. (By contrast, Pfizer’s booster is the same 30 microgram dosage as its initial series.)
