The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing annual COVID-19 vaccinations, according to multiple outlets.
The new guidance would be similar to the administration’s current guidance for the flu shot, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Monday. Those receiving the vaccine for the first time will receive shots to combat multiple strains of the virus, the outlet continued. (RELATED: Biological Male Applies For Medically Assisted Suicide Over Complications From Vaginoplasty)
A panel of experts are preparing to convene Thursday to discuss “future vaccination regimens addressing COVID-19.” An annual vaccination plan may streamline the rollout process and improve rates of vaccination, Reuters reported.
US drug regulators is planning to modify Covid-19 vaccine administration so it’s similar to the one for flu including at least annual reviews of new strains https://t.co/tH5G7QnAPE
— Bloomberg (@business) January 23, 2023
FDA experts voted to recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for children under five years old in June 2022. The vote was a reversal of a previous determination by the agency earlier in 2022 that there was not enough evidence to support recommending the shots for very young children, but updated data presented by Pfizer and Moderna changed the FDA’s position.
The FDA approved a second booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine for those aged 50 and older in April 2022, bypassing a number of its own protocols in the process. The authorization was broader than Pfizer’s own request, which was to approve the dose for people aged 65 and above.
Some advisers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have expressed concerns that approving annual COVID-19 vaccines will lead some to believe the shots are ineffective.