The FDA limits the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the US 1:59
(CNN) —
The United States faces a "very serious" problem with vaccination against Covid-19, a top health official has warned.
Vaccines are by far the most powerful tool we have available against the coronavirus, protecting people from severe illness, needing hospitalization, and even dying from this virus.
The number of deaths from covid-19 among vaccinated people is higher, but booster vaccines significantly reduce the risk
Unlike many less developed countries, the United States has enough doses to vaccinate its entire population, as well as the necessary infrastructure to implement its distribution.
The problem?
Not everyone wants to get the vaccine.
"We have a problem with vaccine adoption that is very serious in the United States. And anything we can do to make people feel more comfortable about being able to accept these life-saving medical products is something we feel compelled to do." said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the Center for Biological Evaluation and Research.
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Why Covid-19 Vaccine Boosters May Be More Important Than Ever
Only 48.7% of people over the age of 12 in the US have received their full vaccination schedule and a booster dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ).
That figure is lower compared to other countries with similar access to vaccines.
For example, 69.6% of people over the age of 12 in the UK have already received their booster, while in Canada the rate is 55.5%.
In the 27 countries of the European Union, 62.6% of adults already have a booster dose.
Marks spoke this Tuesday before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Advisory Committee on Vaccines and Related Biological Products, which is evaluating the approval of a new vaccine against covid-19 developed by the company. of American biotech Novavax.
FDA Advisors Support Novavax Covid-19 Vaccine Authorization
The committee voted overwhelmingly to approve the vaccine, arguing that emergency FDA authorization would be beneficial, CNN's Jacqueline Howard reported.
And, among the topics discussed, was vaccine hesitancy.
Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine has a different technology than the three vaccines currently used in the US, so it could be an option for people allergic to one of the mRNA vaccine ingredients. .
When asked why another vaccine against covid-19 is needed in the United States –– when the use of three has already been authorized: Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Janssen, from Johnson & Johnson, the latter without mRNA technology–– , Marks responded: "Currently, the Janssen is not used as a first-line vaccine, which is the case with mRNA vaccines, and this raises the issue of vaccines for those who do not want to receive an mRNA due to concerns they can have with that technology.
FDA places strict limits on Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine
In May, the FDA limited the emergency use authorization of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine to adults who are unable or unwilling to receive another type of vaccine, due to the risk of a rare and dangerous clotting condition after receiving it.
Restrictions apply to J&J vaccine in the US 2:10
Novavax's Covid-19 vaccine, which is given in two doses three weeks apart, is made using small lab-built pieces of the coronavirus to boost immunity.
This protein-based approach is a more traditional approach to vaccine development than the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna mRNA vaccines.
Covid-19Vaccine against coronavirus