The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves ‘Mix and Match’ for all COVID-19 vaccines approved in the US. Here’s the full story.
Mix and Match for COVID-19 shots approved
The rise in new cases due to the highly infectious Delta variant, especially among the fully vaccinated is serious. The FDA’s new move will help provide more safety to Americans. “The FDA has determined that the known and potential benefits of the use of a single heterologous booster dose outweigh the known and potential risks of their use in eligible populations,” said the FDA statement.
“The vaccine will have packaging available in smaller configurations that will make it easier for physicians’ offices. And other smaller, community-based providers to offer the vaccine to kids and their families,” added the statement. The approval is based on a study conducted on people over 65 and over 18 with high risk. It covers a total of 458 participants. The study reveals that the ‘mix and match’ of booster shots was safe.
More on the vaccine campaign
According to the data from US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 11.2 million people in the US have the booster shot. The strategy is also supported by several countries and shows good efficacy. So far, only the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was authorized for a booster shot. However, the Johnson and Johnson and Moderna shots join the list. This, along with FDA’s new approval will give people the choice to choose a different booster dose.
The Biden administration also has plans to maintain the vaccination campaign and focus on booster shots. However, this has added more pressure on the FDA and the CDC, and the FDA to approve extra vaccines. Additionally, the Biden administration announces a detailed plan for vaccinating children between the ages of 5 and 11.