The Biden administration said Friday it secured 66 million doses of a reformulated COVID-19 shot from Moderna ahead of a fall booster campaign that will further place America on a path toward managing the virus like the seasonal flu.
HHS secures millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses ahead of a fall booster campaign , The purchase adds to the 105 million doses the U.S. government secured from Pfizer of its “bivalent” booster that targets both the original strain of the virus and the BA.5 variant that is ripping through the country. The variant has been able to evade certain immune defenses in people who were infected previously or received the vaccine. Government officials this year opted to reformulate the shots in the hope of producing a better antibody response.
“We must stay vigilant in our fight against COVID-19 and continue to expand Americans’ access to the best vaccines and treatments,” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. “As we look to the fall and winter, we’re doing just that ensuring Americans have the tools they need to stay safe and help keep our nation moving forward.” The decision to procure tens of millions of doses ahead of a big booster campaign, which should begin by September or October, effectively rules out offering a second booster of the existing versions to persons younger than 50.
Source: This news is originally published by washingtontimes