CDC Advisers Consider Broad Use of Updated COVID-19 Shots for Boosters
September 12, 2022
A panel of advisers for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) convened on Tuesday to deliberate on recommendations for the use of updated COVID-19 booster shots recently approved by the government. The decision by the panel will determine whether these boosters should be administered broadly or targeted to specific at-risk populations.
The advisory panel is considering the possibility of recommending updated shots for individuals aged 5 and older, showing a preference for a broad use of the boosters. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the use of updated COVID vaccines manufactured by Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax. However, Novavax’s shot is still under FDA review.
Public health officials have been striving to align the next COVID vaccines with the circulating variant of the virus, similar to the annual design of flu shots. This effort aims to enhance the effectiveness of the vaccines and combat the ever-evolving nature of the virus. The launch of a vaccination campaign is expected in the coming days.
During the panel meeting, the advisers expressed support for a universal COVID-19 vaccine recommendation across age groups at this time. The key question is whether the advisers will call for specific populations, such as older adults and immunocompromised individuals, to receive the boosters, or if the campaign should be rolled out to the broader population.
Representatives from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax are also scheduled to make presentations during the meeting with the CDC advisers. The advisors are ready to review the use of alternative vaccines beyond the mRNA-based ones, such as protein-based vaccines like Novavax’s candidate.
The final decision regarding the recommendations will be made by CDC Director Mandy Cohen, who may or may not follow the panel’s advice.
As COVID variants continue to emerge, public health officials are faced with the challenge of developing vaccines tailored to specific variants. The dominant variants currently circulating in the United States belong to the XBB lineage of the virus. Though the severity of COVID cases may have decreased, the virus continues to circulate, leading experts to advocate for a broad booster strategy.
One subgroup that experts are particularly interested in hearing recommendations for is young men, taking into account rare cases of myocarditis observed in this population after vaccination.
The original COVID vaccines developed in 2020 were targeted at the initial strain of the virus. Subsequent booster shots targeted both the original strain and the Omicron variants. The newly updated shots focus solely on the XBB.1.5 variant, as requested by the FDA. Experts believe that the XBB.1.5 vaccine will provide better cross-protection against the current Omicron variants compared to the previous bivalent boosters.
Scientists are monitoring other Omicron subvariants, including the prevalent EG.5 and the highly mutated BA.2.86, which raised concerns about a possible resurgence of infections. Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, and Novavax have reported that their updated shots are effective against the EG.5 subvariant, with Moderna and Pfizer’s shots demonstrating strong responses against the BA.2.86 subvariant. Novavax is still conducting tests on its vaccine’s efficacy against BA.2.86.
The CDC advisory panel aims to make a significant contribution to the ongoing efforts to control the COVID pandemic and enhance public health safety measures. The decision on the use of updated COVID-19 shots for boosters will have profound implications for the ongoing vaccination campaign and the population’s protection against emerging variants.
Reporting by Bhanvi Satija and Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru, Julie Steenhuysen in Chicago, and Michael Erman in New York; Editing by Will Dunham and Caroline Humer