Pfizer Asks FDA to Approve Omicron-Specific Booster Shot
MONDAY, Aug. 22, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Pfizer Inc. said Monday that it has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve the emergency use of an updated booster shot that targets several versions of the omicron variant.
Animal studies show that the new mRNA vaccine produces an immune response against both the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, with clinical trials set to begin this month, the company said in a news release announcing the application.
"The agility of the mRNA platform, together with extensive clinical experience with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, has allowed us to develop, test, and manufacture updated, high-quality vaccines that align to circulating strains with unprecedented speed," Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla said in the news release. "Having rapidly scaled up production, we are positioned to immediately begin distribution of the bivalent omicron BA.4/BA.5 boosters, if authorized, to help protect individuals and families as we prepare for potential fall and winter surges."
The BA.5 subvariant accounts for nearly 90 percent of new U.S. COVID-19 cases, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The FDA plans to review the data in September. If authorized, the vaccine can be distributed immediately, NBC News reported. Harvard epidemiologist Bill Hanage, Ph.D., told the news outlet that the turnaround time for this new vaccine was "remarkably quick." It usually takes years for vaccines to be developed and distributed, and the latest omicron subvariants only began spreading in the United States widely in early June.
Related Posts
Fetal Mortality Rate 5.73 Per 1,000 Live Births in 2021 in U.S.
WEDNESDAY, July 26, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- 2021 saw a fetal mortality rate of...
Unvaccinated Should Not Travel This Labor Day Weekend: CDC
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 1, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Unvaccinated Americans should stay...
Metformin Use Linked to Lower Risk for Joint Replacement in T2DM
MONDAY, Dec. 19, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with type 2 diabetes,...
Statin Use Cuts Five-Year Stroke Risk for Patients With Atrial Fibrillation
MONDAY, May 15, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Statin use is associated with a lower...