The arrival of winter together with the refusal of some people to receive the Covid-19 vaccine has caused outbreaks in some parts of the world. At the moment Europe is the most affected continent but it is not ruled out that the same problem will be repeated in other regions. For this reason, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has updated its guidelines for receiving the booster dose.
So far, the mRNA vaccines made up of those developed by Pfizer and Moderna are the only ones that have modified their original immunization schedules. At the beginning, two injections were required but later it was changed to three.
The reason is because various studies by both pharmaceutical companies showed that their respective biologics lose efficacy after six months. In addition, the appearance and expansion of mutations such as the Delta Variant, which are more dangerous than the original strain of the virus, has also had an influence.
Therefore, in the first instance the FDA authorized the booster dose but the only condition is that it could only be applied to the elderly and vulnerable groups. But today that has changed.
New guidelines
Through a newsletter It is explained that the new provision is that all persons 18 years of age or older in the United States who have already received the two doses from either of the two companies mentioned can receive a third injection.
“The FDA has determined that currently available data supports expanding the eligibility of a single booster dose of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines to individuals 18 years of age and older. Simplifying the eligibility criteria and making booster doses available to everyone over the age of 18 will also help eliminate confusion about who can get a booster dose and ensure that booster doses are available to everyone who can. need one ”.
The FDA reviewed the information available on the results of the booster dose. One study showed that the immune responses of 149 participants 18 years of age or older who received the third injection increased dramatically. In addition, no serious affectations or side effects were observed.
One of the first indications is that at least six months must elapse after the application of the second dose to receive the booster. While it was announced that the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will meet today afternoon to discuss more clinical recommendations.
What should Mexico do?
Based on this new indication, it is expected that more countries will follow the same path to change immunization schemes. Although in the case of Mexico, the Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) has not made any changes so everything remains the same.