Americans with weakened immune systems will be allowed to get three shots of a Covid-19 vaccine after U.S. regulators authorized giving an extra dose to the most vulnerable people. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s action expands the use of vaccines from Moderna Inc., Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE for organ transplant recipients and patients with other conditions like cancer that hobble the body’s natural infection-fighting response.
“After a thorough review of the available data, the FDA determined that this small, vulnerable group may benefit from a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines,” FDA’s acting commissioner said. The agency said people who are immunocompromised can receive a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines. The FDA’s action was designed to protect those people most likely to be harmed or die from an infection, even if they are already fully vaccinated. The decision to expand the emergency use of both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines is meant to help those patients with immune deficiencies who are considered most likely to benefit from an additional shot. An estimated 2.7 per cent of adults in the United States are immunocompromised, according to the CDC. The FDA also emphasized that other fully vaccinated people are “adequately protected” and currently do not need an extra dose. The U.S. is currently facing a surge of infections spawned by the more infectious delta variant, with more than 117,000 new cases diagnosed yesterday.
