US FDA Bypasses Adcomm In Authorizing Second COVID Booster Because Decision ‘Straight-Forward’

Advisory committee member says FDA's decision to authorize extra shots of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for those 50 and older was a short-term solution and that VRBPAC should prioritize long-term issues related to the coronavirus.

Vaccine booster
A newly authorized vial for Moderna vaccine boosters also could help federal tracking systems. • Source: Alamy

The US Food and Drug Administration’s latest expansion of the COVID-19 vaccine emergency use authorization is the largest yet without consulting its advisory committee, but fits a recent pattern with incremental decisions.

The agency announced 29 March that it had authorized a second booster of the Pfizer Inc./BioNTech SE or...

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