The U.S. Drug Administration approves the provision of a booster shot of Pfizer's new crown vaccine to high-risk populations 65 years and older

  China News Service, Washington, September 22 (Reporter Sha Hanting) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the provision of Pfizer's new crown vaccine booster shots to high-risk people aged 65 years and above on the evening of the 22nd local time.

Data map: At UPS Worldport in Louisville, Kentucky, boxes containing Pfizer vaccines were unloaded from air shipping containers.

  The FDA-approved people who can be vaccinated with Pfizer's booster vaccine include people 65 years and older, people at high risk of serious diseases, and groups working at high risk, such as medical staff, school teachers, kindergarten staff, supermarket staff, and prisons. Personnel etc.

  On the 17th of this month, the FDA advisory committee voted to support the provision of booster shots of the new crown vaccine to people 65 years of age and older and high-risk groups, but voted to refuse to provide booster shots to the general public.

Many experts questioned the necessity and safety of providing enhanced needles to the public.

  The head of the FDA's vaccine department, Peter Marks, issued a statement on the 22nd, saying that the FDA's decision that day was made after considering the recommendations of the advisory committee and conducting a comprehensive review of the relevant data.

The FDA will continue to analyze and study the relevant data on the enhanced needle, and make corresponding decisions in the future based on the analysis results.

  The FDA's decision on vaccine booster is only for Pfizer's new crown vaccine booster.

Regarding the Modena vaccine and Johnson & Johnson vaccine booster, a decision will be made later.

  On the same day, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory committee started a meeting to discuss the new crown vaccine booster.

At the meeting that day, some experts said that the decision on the booster vaccination should be postponed for one month to obtain more data.

  According to regulations, after the FDA approves the vaccine use authorization, the CDC will need to formally recommend and give a specific implementation plan before the relevant vaccination can be started.

  A month ago, the Biden government announced that it would provide the public with a booster shot of the new crown vaccine starting September 20.

Regarding the failure to implement as planned, some Biden government health officials said they expect that in the next few weeks or months, the proposal to provide an enhanced needle to the general public will be approved.

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