US health authorities are preparing to allow the use of a different anti-Covid vaccine for the booster dose than that initially used for immunization, according to US media.
The United States Drugs Agency (FDA) could make the announcement Wednesday, October 20, the
New York Times
reported, among others
, when it announced its decision to authorize booster doses for Moderna and Johnson's vaccines. & Johnson.
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The FDA could however recommend to give preference to the injection of a dose of the same vaccine as far as possible, according to sources cited by the American press.
Such an announcement from health authorities is likely to be of particular interest to people who have received the single-dose vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, or some 15 million Americans.
Increase the number of beneficiaries of booster doses
The information comes after the publication last week of preliminary results from a study conducted in the United States, suggesting that people who received the "
J & J
"
vaccine
may benefit from receiving a booster dose of a different vaccine. , to messenger RNA, in order to benefit from an even greater increase in their antibody levels. An FDA advisory committee last week recommended authorization of a booster dose of Johnson & Johnson for all people 18 and years of age and over, and Moderna for certain categories of the population at risk, including the elderly. .
Once the FDA's decision is announced, a committee of experts from the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) will meet on Thursday to in turn review the data supporting the principle of these booster doses, before the agency does not publish its precise recommendations for these injections, intended for healthcare professionals administering them.
A booster of Pfizer's vaccine is already authorized in the country for certain categories of populations at risk.
This decision is not a world first,
as vaccine
“
mixing
” is already possible in many countries.
