The U.S. FDA has formally approved Covid-19 booster shots for the upcoming season, but unlike before, has placed significant restrictions on who is eligible for them.
Those 65 and older, who are 65 and older, individuals prone to severe illness from getting Covid, and others who are at risk for severe disease due to at least one medical condition. Those who do not fit into these groups could still get a shot after discussing with a healthcare professional.
The authorizations were granted to Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA), Pfizer (NYSE:PFE), and Novavax (NASDAQ:NVAX). Moderna’s is for those 6 months and older; Pfizer, 5 year and older; and Novavax, 12 years and up.
HHS Secretary RFK Jr. in an X post said that the emergency use authorizations for the shots are now revoked. He claimed that they were “once used to justify broad mandates on the general public during the Biden administration.”
He added that due to an FDA action, companies making Covid vaccines will now have to conduct placebo-controlled trials.
However, just because the FDA has authorized the shots doesn’t mean they will be readily available to those who want them. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices still has to vote to recommend them, a practice that would require insurers to cover the jabs.
In June, that panel was completely replaced with individuals vetted by RFK Jr., a long-time vaccine skeptic. Some of the new members have openly criticized mRNA vaccines used during the pandemic.
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